Students dance the night away at silent disco
By Madison Lewis
Students who were on campus and looking to welcome the weekend observed the usually cluttered Muller’s Pub apprehensively as the floor was cleared and flashing lights illuminated the room.
The “Club in the Pub” event, coordinated by the Office of Campus Life, was intended to begin at 7 p.m., but people did not show interest until about eight minutes later, when more and more guests became immersed in music and let loose.
At a conventional nightclub, guests can only personalize their experience so much. The concept of the silent disco, where music is played on headphones distributed to each guest rather than over speakers, innovated the club scene by accommodating different tastes and inviting introverts to feel comfortable, and on Feb. 3, Rider’s silent disco sought to create a care-free environment for its students.
Upon entering, there was a bin of headphones that club-goers could choose from and place on their head to be transported to an exclusive nightclub.
The headphones connected to three stations, with each station corresponding to a color: red, green or blue.
The attendees grabbed their headphones and chose their stations, with some deciding to listen along with their friends and others straying from their peers, dancing to their own favorite tunes.
The three stations on the headphones did not have specific genres of music, with all three stations playing some combination of pop, rap and disco, but there were no complaints about guests’ music preferences not being met.
Throughout the night, people glided across the dance floor, enjoying each others company despite swaying to different beats.
Having below-average coordination wasn’t an issue for the crowd, as the dancers were in their own worlds, and attendees took every opportunity to highlight each person who took to the floor. The energy was magnetic and encouraged more reserved guests to test the waters.
The students appreciated the ability to customize their experience and dance like no one was watching, in the same way one may dance alone in their room.
Freshman musical theater major Julia Almendra said, “You could pick what song you were feeling … when you go to a regular party, you have to put up with what they play.”
When club-goers needed to replenish their energy, there were trays of fan-favorite bar foods like mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers and tater tots.
Despite the overwhelming admiration and rave reviews for the event, many guests commented on the fact that the house lights were engulfed the room in what Graduate Assistant for Muller’s Pub and Events Kayla Plunto described as a “technical difficulty,” making it challenging to suspend disbelief for the attendees.
“Take me out of The Pub. Take me into the club,” exclaimed Almendra.
According to Plunto, the event was successful in its goal to promote the dining establishment, as students may not be aware that those under 21 are able to participate in events stationed in Muller’s Pub.
Using the constructive criticisms from attendees, Plunto described her plans to revamp Rider’s attempt at a silent disco.
She enthusiastically detailed how there will be glow sticks and that the house lights will hopefully be dimmed at the next silent disco.
Even with the house lights issue, Plunto remained optimistic for future events, as she believed that the silent disco brought people together in an unconventional and unexpected way.
“The amount of people that were all talking to each other that didn’t even come in together … [they] were all hanging out and dancing with one another,” said Plunto. “It’s about making Rider a community, regardless if you live here or [you] don’t.”
Watch The Rider News’ video on the Silent Disco here. Created by Josiah Thomas.
