Throwback beats, a pair of headphones and good vibes was all it took to create the Silent Disco experience on NE Campus.
The Welcome Week: Silent Disco event was meant as a way for students to get exposure to some of the clubs offered while offering opportunities to connect with others in the NE Campus community on Sept. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m.
But what is a Silent Disco? At the entrance to the event room, students were given a set of TCC branded headphones that were Bluetooth connected to a playlist compiled by the Student Activities team.
The headphones played recent music all the way back to 1960s beats and classics, and users could press a button to switch between channels.
First semester NE student Jayla Robinson said what attracted her to the event was the socializing opportunities.
“I am very introverted. I stay to myself, but I don’t want to be lonely so I’m trying to get myself out there,” she said.
Though she had never been to a Silent Disco event, she had heard of it before and was happy with the music choices.
“This is all new to me, but I’m willing to explore and experience it,” she said.
While the night went on, the DJs kept the room excited and encouraged people to dance at the front of the room while the club tables engaged with the rest of the students.
The focus of the event, however, was the networking and social aspects.
Chess Club President Romeo Barren was at the event to promote the club and encourage membership to the students. Having been a recently revived club for about a year, he explained he was ready to establish a firm foundation for it.
“The last thing I want to do is leave this club not known and with not many people in it so that it just kind of disappears,” he said.
Barren has been to club events like Silent Disco to get more exposure to the club and said he was surprised with how many people approached him about it.
“I guess it surprised me how even though this is a small college you can still find people with the same interests,” he said.
Malik Yassin, another NE Campus student said that the event was great, and that he enjoyed the idea of community using unique events like the Silent Disco.
“I’d say trying anything is better than nothing, and plus, food brings everyone in,” he said. “Usually, it doesn’t matter what it is, it’s always good to have that to bring people together.”
Yassin recently joined the Muslim Student Association and said with his previous experience in youth leadership, he felt he was able contribute.
“I heard about them last semester and I thought, ‘you know, that’d be a great idea to help out,’” he said.
Yassin said that he is ready to make the association even stronger this semester, and that they have new things they are looking forward to doing involving celebrating Islamic culture and encouraging Muslim and non-Muslim student engagement to create a shared experience together.
Other tables included student support groups, like the Learning Commons team and counseling to share more information on how they can help students succeed.
Ashley Sandoval, a NE Campus Library Specialist who was at the event was there to share information on the library, said it is a great place to find help and wants students to know about their access to it.
“If you ever have any questions, come in, we have books to check out, just for fun and for research,” she said. “Our librarians can help with any research topic that you may have.”
