Eastern’s modeling registered student organization, the Kat Walk, joined the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Sunday to walk the runway.

The models have been working for about a month for the show.

Kamron Washington, a freshman theatre major, was one of the models for the show and said the fashion show was a great experience.

Washington said he wanted to join the Kat Walk due to his passion for fashion. He said he had been studying models since high school.

This was Washington’s first time traveling to another school to model and said the experience helped him with his anxiety.

“Time management was like my biggest takeaway because the practices in the show get in the way of some homework assignments and things of that nature,” Washington said. “But you have to balance or put what you need to put aside for  certain things.”

Washington said the Kat Walk was one of the first organizations to truly allow him to feel truly comfortable.

Mariah Veazley, senior psychology major, is the treasurer for the Kat Walk, and was also a model in the fashion show at UIUC.

Veazley said it was a fun experience and that she enjoyed working with UIUC.

 “It was a good experience for us to learn and grow with the people who have been doing it already,” Veazley said.

Veazley said that her growth was the best part of the entire process.

“From the first casting call until the actual day of the show, it was really good just seeing how far everybody has come, you know the confidence boost that being a part of the Kat Walk gives everybody,” Veazley said.

Veazley said that the biggest takeaway for her was how she felt when she finally walked on the stage. She said her confidence also boosted since the first casting calls until the day of the fashion show.

“I was feeling like that girl,” Veazley said.

Aniyah Smith, a junior criminology major is also one of the modeling coaches for The Kat Walk and a part of the social outreach team.

As this was Smith’s second time traveling to another school, she said that the experience was great.

“The first time we did it, this past November, traveled to [Northern Illinois University], but this one, it was different because it was a Kat Walk production,” Smith said. “So it was our Kat Walk family with our Kat Walk family from UIUC.”

Smith also learned new techniques from UIUC that can help the Kat Walk at Eastern, in particular, how to set things up and how to manage certain things.

Despite being from different schools, Smith said that there are a lot similar aspects, particularly on how stressful everything is.

“Show day is going to be hectic; it’s going to be crazy everywhere every second literally until showtime,” Smith said.

Similar to Veazley, Smith enjoyed watching the models progress over time.

Smith saw how some of the models gained more confidence in their walks and techniques.

 After the show, Smith learned that she just had to make the best out of every situation.

“Mistakes are going to happen, things aren’t going to go as smoothly, and it might be more frustrating to us, the models and the [executive] board, the production, you know the people that make the show go on…” Smith said. “When things happen its like , ‘Ugh, oh my gosh,’ but being able to move forward and be positive about it, that’s what makes a show a show.”

Cam’ron Hardy can be reached at 581-2812 or at cahardy@eiu.edu.