Florida Atlantic University’s Black Student Union hosted its annual competition, the Battle of the Sexes, a talent show where students can showcase their skills to honor breast and prostate cancer on Thursday night in the Boca Raton campus’s Student Union.

Battle of the Sexes is an annual tradition for FAU’s Black Student Union. Held every October, the official Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the talent show features performances by FAU’s Pulse Dance Troupe and the Kohesion Step and Dance Team.

According to Zariah Walker, the Kohesion’s Step and Dance Team president, the awareness of breast and prostate cancer is something the team honors and believes in.

“It’s one of the ways we try to give back through service, because we really believe in the purpose behind it … spreading awareness for breast cancer and prostate cancer,” Zariah Walker said.

The show also featured a Sinners-inspired fashion segment, based on the 2025 vampire film directed by Ryan Coogler, by FAU’s Fashion Forward. The Council of Student Organizations (COSO), the board that oversees and assists registered student organizations on each campus, also aided the BSU in the planning of the talent show.

Ja’Kari Brown, BSU’s president and junior exercise science major, describes the Battle of the Sexes as one big talent show that gives FAU students the opportunity to showcase their abilities and different skills to the public.

“The organizations are here mainly to bring in a crowd and engage the audience,” said Brown. “It also gives them [FAU students] the opportunity to see organizations that already have a certain skill set, so they can decide if they’d like to join those organizations as well.”

Judged by FAU alumni and current students, the talent show allows prominent Black organizations and clubs to pique the interest of prospective club members. Before the actual show, the Pulse Dance Troupe opened up with a lively number to get the crowd going. After the opener, contestants began to sing, dance, or deliver spoken poetry.

Emprisse Walker, the second contestant and a senior psychology major, performed a spoken word titled ‘Dear Black Warrior.’

“Seeing people who look like us constantly getting killed on TV because of police brutality,” Emprisse Walker said. “I wanted to put out a message, a way to honor everyone, because there are so many people [victims] and it’s hard to say every name.”

Julia Pace, a sophomore health science major, found out about the talent show through BSU’s official Instagram post. Pace ranked Walker’s poem as her favorite.

“The poem was very expressive, and it was real and so relatable to what’s going on within the world now,” said Pace. Pace also thought that the Kohesion Step and Dance Team was her favorite intermission performance.

“I’m seeing some of my associates and classmates that I haven’t seen in a while, so it feels like a big reunion,” said Pace. “We’re able to showcase the talent around campus. Some people are singing, and I never even knew they could sing.”

Natalie Solomon, a sophomore neuroscience major, performed “Rise Up” by Andrea Day. Solomon’s vocal performance drew strong reactions from the crowd, aiding in a win for the girls.

Following Solomon’s piece, FAU’s Kohesion Step and Dance Team entertained the crowd with a murder mystery routine. Kohesion Step and Dance Team, an organization revolving around the art of step through energetic performances and campus involvement, has made participating in the Battle of the Sexes an annual tradition.

After Solomon and Kohesion came Andre Thelemaque, the standout male performance of the night. Thelemaque, a senior medical biology major, sang “Listen” by Beyoncé. Ending his number in a death-drop, Thelemaque, a big bee-hive member, sang to honor Beyonce. Dressed in an all-black outfit inspired by the opening look from the 2019 Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, which documents Beyonce’s Coachella performance, Thelemaque grabbed the attention of the audience.

“I wanted to … feel the energy from the crowd. Even my outfit was inspired by her Homecoming look … the first outfit she wore is pretty similar to what I have on right now,” said Thelemaque.

While Thelemaque was a strong competitor, ultimately the girls won the Battle of the Sexes. Kaitlyn Lawrence, a sophomore exercise science major, won not only the Battles of Sexes but also placed first overall in the competition.

The judges’ panel consisted of philosophy junior Bree-Ann Ferraro; BSU coordinator and FAU alumnus CJ Thomas; Kimberly Nolan, FAU alumna, a former Battle of the Sexes winner and Miss BSU 2023; and finally, a bioscience senior, Isabel Stephens. The performances were judged on categories based on showmanship, creativity, expression, clarity, and stage presence.

Lawrence, who performed the gospel song “More Than Anything” by Lamar Campbell, won the judges over in all the categories. When asked about her overall win, Lawrence said, “Funny enough, I didn’t even know this was a competition,” she said. “I was genuinely surprised because I didn’t realize I was competing for anything.”

Although the first-place winner doesn’t win a physical prize, Campbell brought her two clubs, Fashion Forward and the Kohesion Step and Dance team, a lot of attention.

Kaii Thompson is the Culture Reporter for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email kaiiliburdthompson@gmail.com.