source: sus.edu
When thinking of Southern University, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? The Human Jukebox is unequivocally one of the most influential forces throughout the history of our illustrious university. However, it often goes overlooked in equivalency to athletic achievements, despite the Jukebox’s unwavering commitment to making our sporting events the nation-wide attraction they are. This is exactly the message that Emmy nominated student documentary The Hidden Sport seeks to convey.
The 13-minute documentary is a manifestation of the vision of senior mass communications major and aspiring director, Loren Sullivan. “As a media videographer, I would go and shoot for football, then go shoot for the band, who has been in practice since before football got there, yet they aren’t considered a sport? They don’t get the same recognition that athletics do. When you think of football, you can’t not think of the band. That’s what this film is about,” she states.
With fellow mass comm majors including Ashley Lovelace, Eric White, Sydney Cuillier, and computer science major Verbon Muhammad, the team considered 7 different topics before deciding their creative direction.
Remembering band member Caleb Wilson, this topic was chosen in dedication to him. Overall, the doc took 5 months, 11 drives of footage, and numerous sleepless nights to complete.
The film highlights the anchoring director of the internationally renowned band, Dr. Isaac Greggs, who, since 1969, led the Jukebox for over 35 years. In efforts to add more luster to his band’s unforgettable sound, he co-founded the Dancing Dolls in 1969 alongside dancing director Gracie Perkins, who offers her first-hand account in the film’s interview.
Some may disregard the marching band as a sport due to its “unathleticism”, but the documentary illustrates that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Actively performing with (sometimes as much as 35 lb) instruments requires stamina and focus, all with immaculate timing and precision. SU’s own football players attest to this, giving accolades to dedicated band members who are often heard in practice before the athletic team’s begin and long after they disperse.
Southern alum and 1990 Dancing Dolls choreography director, Michelle Cross, offered her thoughts following the April screening. “This is legendary, and I hope the world will give this short film the attention it deserves. Hopefully they come back with more footage and turn this into a full fledged movie! I’m so proud of my school, the band, and these students for shining this light on Southern University.”
Since the initial screening, The Hidden Sport was nominated alongside 6 other HBCU finalists for the 2025 Coca-Cola HBCU Sports Production Grant. The winner will be announced at the May 20th Sports Emmy ceremony. “We have discovered new talent, we’ve discovered strengths and weaknesses. But I think the biggest thing about this entire group is how we came together to balance each other out and produce this amazing project that we love so much. I’m grateful for this opportunity and experience, it’s still surreal.” -Ashley Lovelace
More information regarding nominations is available at https://theemmys.tv/hbcu/
Be sure to catch the next upcoming screening of The Hidden Sport on May 1st, 7pm at Jewel J Newman Community Center.