Hoodies and Headphones heads to homecoming
By Angela Romansky
As kids, some of us played “silent ball” in class. This was our teachers’ brilliant way of allowing us to have fun without causing a ruckus. Now, as college students, we are responsible for complying with Residence Life noise policies and local noise ordinances when it comes to having fun. For students at Westminster Choir College (WCC), this means creative party planning.
Tonight at 7 p.m., WCC will hold its annual homecoming dance on the Great Plains lawn. This, however, will be no ordinary dance, as this years theme is Hoodies and Headphones. According the WCC press release, upon arrival, each student will be given a pair of wireless headphones from a company called Silent Disco. Hired artist DJ Fourleaf will broadcast the same music to every pair of headphones so that students can dance and sing together.
WCC sophomore student Sam Brukhman believes that this event will not only entertain, but also suspend some of the mid-semester chaos.
“Homecoming is a great way to relieve the stress that has piled up in the semester,” Brukhman said. “We are now approaching the middle of the semester and things are becoming hectic. Homecoming is a reminder that we need to relax and that we should not be constantly consumed in our studies.”
Sophomore Gianna Pannullo, a member of the Student Activities Committee, said the committee plans all major events at WCC that are not sponsored by a specific organization, such as the Spring Fling, Halloween, Drag Ball and homecoming. The committee does everything, including coming up with the theme, making a proposal, submitting the budget to the Student Government Association for funding, decorating, reserving spaces, advertising, and setup and cleanup.
“It’s something that I personally really look forward to because I love planning,” Pannullo said. “I also love being able to get together with a group of people who have the same interests as me outside of music.
In addition to the Hoodies and Headphones, homecoming weekend at WCC also includes an annual pageant. Contestants are split between upperclassmen who compete for Homecoming King and Queen and freshmen who compete for the titles of Prince and Princess.
The pageant is held the night before the dance and the winners, who are voted on by the student body after competing in various categories, are announced at the dance.
“Contestants will compete in evening wear, lip sync, Q&A and teacher impersonation,” Pannullo said.
Overall, the pageant and the Silent Disco are causing a great deal of excitement on campus
“Lots of people have apparently been to Silent Disco events on cruises and things before and have loved it,” Pannullo said. “We are hoping for a large turnout.”
Any student with a Rider ID is allowed to attend this weekend’s homecoming festivities at WCC. The dance will take place outside, so the event staff suggests that attendees rock their hoodies and plan to be festooned with glow-in-the-dark accessories.
