Bowie State Students Reflect on Target Commercial Shoot
BSU Alumna Shawneka Ponder Felt Bulldog Pride on the Yard
MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan Saxon, jsaxon@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-3607
(BOWIE, Md.) – A group of Bowie State University students and alumni were recently featured in a commercial for Target’s Black Beyond Measure ad campaign, portraying homecoming on an HBCU campus.
“I was excited,” said London Diggs, a senior theater arts major with an acting/directing concentration. “It was like a steppingstone and a big opportunity I had never done before.”
“In the dance scene, we did the electric slide about twenty times. It was really fun,” said Alexis Hayes, another senior theater arts major.
Shawneka Ponder, hadn’t been back to Bowie in many years before returning for the commercial shoot. The theme for the commercial was “Homecoming” and Ponder felt a personal sense of returning home when she was called back for the shoot.
“It was a lot going through my mind,” said Ponder, who graduated in 2008 with a degree in broadcast journalism. “Memories of when I was on campus and that feeling of having that full circle moment. For me, I felt so grateful and excited at the same time.”
The Bulldog cast members were featured in an extensive shoot that depicted multiple scenes meant to portray campus life, including a picnic outing, band members performing in a parade and old friends running into each other on the yard. Roland Reynolds, another alum and a former Mr. Bowie, along with current students Asha Sanders, Genesis Bratcher, Keisha Brown, Erica Harrell, Justus Harris and Rodney Loper were also part of the commercial production.
Ponder felt proud to be part of such a celebratory depiction of HBCU life.
“They were trying to shine a light on the HBCU experience as best as they could,” said Ponder.
Ponder also hopes that her inclusion in the commercial inspires students to keep tapping into their artistic sides and pursue their creative dreams.
“I’m hopeful that if someone watched it that is currently a Bowie State student, they’ll continue to pursue their dreams,” she said. “It’s possible.”
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About Bowie State University
Founded in 1865, Bowie State University is the first Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in Maryland and one of the ten oldest in the country. As a leading institution of higher learning, Bowie State offers more than 65 bachelor's, master's, doctoral and certificate programs across arts and sciences, technology, business, education, healthcare and related disciplines. The university provides high-quality and affordable educational opportunities in a supportive environment that empowers students to think critically, make new discoveries, value differences and emerge as leaders in a highly technical, rapidly changing global society. For more information about Bowie State University, visit bowiestate.edu.