House PartyProductions, an organization known for throwing parties and popularizing thephrase “UNODAT” is now a Southern University student organization. It’s purposeis to instill satisfactory entrepreneurial skills into college/university menand to better prepare them in professional endeavors for the future.
Before HPPbecame a student organization, they initially started by having barbecues.
“We startedthe summer of ’03. It started out with us doing barbecues and stuff, then wetook it to the house and started having the house parties,” said DaVantiBryant, president and Chief Executive Officer. “Then someone (Charlie Jones)from the club gave us an opportunity to throw it (parties) at the club.”
The club,then Jazzy Blues, is now Exposure, which Bryant now owns. Robert Jackson, secretaryof HPP, sees the organization also as a way to make money.
“The waythat you can make money is not that hard, because black people always talkingabout I can’t do this because I don’t have no money,” he said. “I can’t do thatbecause I don’t have no money. You can make your own money. All you have to dois have a vision.”
Accordingto Bryant other organizations on campus were “hating” on HPP as anorganization, which also prompted them to become official.
“When webecame hot, we was hot quick and they was hating on us so we had to go throughstudent programs just so we could promote on campus,” he said. “We came on itso strong to where fraternities and sorroties were mad because we were throwingparties on their days, or we were hanging our banner where their banner shouldbe at.”
Studentsseeking membership must be enrolled in twelve or more hours per semester (falland spring) and abide by all university policies and procedures found in thestudent handbook.
They mustcomply with federal, state and local laws and attend monthly meetings. Studentsmust have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.00 or above on a 4.00 scale and be a malestudent. Another requirement of admittance into the organization is thatstudents must be voted on and approved by 2/3 vote of all active members.Current members include DaVanti Bryant, Kennith Jackson, Chris Cooper, RobertJackson, Emile Bryant, Glynn Mangum, Brandon Barnes, Demond Barnes, OttisBrown, Charles Bell, Jeremy Jason, Delano Mitchell and Carl Singleton.
HPP iscurrently helping sponsor the Lacumba three project, where they will be hostinga showcase, which includes a fashion show and concert featuring expected guestappearances by rappers Wacko, Skip, 5th Ward Weebie, Juvenile and others.
”It’s going to be something like ‘Ripthe Runway,'” Bryant said. “Were finding the models and were going to do allthe advertisement.”
The specialguests are provided by Kennith “Big Kennith” Jackson. Jackson, who personallyknows the expected lineup said due to his strong relationship with the artist,it wasn’t a problem to get them to agree to the show.
”I explained to them what I was tryingto do and the organization that I was with at school, and they was like sincethis is you and the organization is trying to do something positive we going tocome do it. I have a strong relationship with the artist. It’s love.”
Though HPPis a student organization, among the different majors within House PartyProductions they plan to utilize their talents beyond the university.
“Were goingto have a House Party Productions division,” Bryant said. “Were going to go toevery state.”
