Silent disco ends up not so silent

On September 7, the Student Activities Committee (SAC) held its first ever silent disco in the Pine Grove. Contrary to popular belief, a silent disco is actually not far off from a dance, with the biggest difference being the music. Instead of the DJ playing music out of speakers, everyone has their own headphones. This makes for an interesting mix of dances. Not everyone hears the same thing, and each person individually chooses what they listen to. What made Friday’s silent disco unique, is that upon arrival, students were greeted by SAC at a tent, where they grabbed a pair of over-the ear headphones.

These headphones had the ability to tune into the event’s radio station of their choice. The event had three different channels to tune into, and the color of the LED lights on someone’s headphones reflected what channel they were listening to. Each channel seemed to have it’s very own DJ as well. We asked SAC why they had opted to hold a silent disco rather than a “normal” one; flexibility seemed to be the main reason. “The silent disco provided
more options for students that wanted to listen to their preferred kind of music, and overall it was more inclusive,” said Madison Deacon, a junior in SAC. Madison also went on to add, “Not to mention, it’s just the new and hip thing to do!”

The disco began at 8:30 p.m., and the turnout was modest at first. Attendees seemed to be very apprehensive at first, but it was not very long before groups of people started coming in. After a short amount of time, the small stage was engulfed in people, all dancing, singing and enjoying themselves regardless of how awkward they may or may not have looked.

The atmosphere was friendly and casual, and as the event went on, people seemed to adjust to the awkwardness of the event. At one point, there was even a large crowd of people singing along to Miley Cyrus’ “Party In The U.S.A.” Even though the event itself was called a “silent disco” there was actually a fair amount of singing involved, so it wasn’t all quiet that night. There was also a myriad of flashing colorful lights, illuminating the crowd as they danced on for hours

It is unclear whether or not this will be Hope’s only silent disco. However based on the turnout and the general reception and concepts of those that attended, it is safe to say the vast majority of attendees had a great time.