Play that funky music, TWU

Posted by admin on Mar 8, 2006 in News | 0 comments

There were hips swinging and lips singing in a disco-dazzled Robson Lounge on Thursday night, as the Trinity Western University Student Association hosted the first ever TWU-sanctioned dance.

The disco-themed Junior-Senior dance kept it funky with black lights and Barry White. Fluorescent squares littered the dance floor while strong beats from the Jackson 5, as well as the Black Eyed Peas, kept bodies moving. Plaid pants, dark aviators and coloured bandanas were donned by many students who wanted to get into the disco groove.

Dance co-organizer Kinsley Pogue, who serves as Junior Rep, said that about 150 people came and went throughout the evening. Though the dance had a slow start, at the height the event, about 50 people were dancing.

“I thought it was a good turnout considering that it was the first event,” said Senior Rep Beinta Hansen, who also organized the dance. “A lot of people who were there at the beginning stayed until the end.”

Even professor Cal Townsend showed up, as did Dean of Students Sheldon Loeppky, who monitored part of the event.

“I think it’s great,” said Loeppky. “It allows [students] to blow off some steam.” Loeppky said he was glad to see that students were respectful of the new dancing policy, which was implemented this semester.

Many students who attended enjoyed the event.

“It was so much fun,” said Jessica Neuber, third year Biology student. “They should do it more often.”

In light of the dance policy which prohibits “inappropriate dancing” and states that all music “must respect the Responsibilities of Membership,” Neuber said she felt that both the dancing and music were appropriate.

Melanie Stevenson, a third year Business student, agreed. “There was no worry about dancing leading to anything,” she said.

While David Edmondson said the music selection was good overall, he took issue with some of the music.

“The only song that I would ask why it was in the mix would be “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” said the third year Political Studies student. “That just screams grind to me. And yet you can’t grind here.”

The event will make national headlines next Monday in Maclean’s magazine. A Maclean’s reporter picked up a copy of the Mars’ Hill at a recent Canadian University Press conference, read “BOG approves on-campus dancing” (MH Issue 5), and decided to follow up on the story.

Maclean’s reporter Shanda Deziel was impressed by the event.

“You think of dancing and you think of bars and the meat market,” she said. “It was people who weren’t drunk just having a lot of fun.”