Clubgoers crowded onto the Legends dance floor Thursday night for the second annual DJ Styles & Complete Welcome Week DJ Dance & Light Show.
“I said we’d do 500 and we did more,” said Randy Kelly, director of Student Programs. “It was a tremendous success. Everyone was on the dance floor.”
The event wrapped up the Welcome Week for freshmen, though the audience was composed of a larger mix of upper and underclassmen than other Welcome Week events, which were predominantly attended by freshmen.
“The DJ was poppin’,” junior elementary education major Alex Kabuthi said. “The people were lively. Everyone was pretty psyched, pretty excited.”
Kabuthi heard about the event through a friend who had seen the show before and recommended it.
“From the perspective of another DJ, they really knew how to work the crowd,” sophomore graphic arts major Alex Stewart said. “That’s normally the hardest part of DJing – getting the crowd into the music – and they definitely succeeded with that.”
Stewart said he DJs on the side.
“They definitely knew what the people wanted,” he said. “Every time a song dropped the crowd went crazy.”
Like Carnival Night and APPS Spectacular, the event feedback exceeded APPS’ expectations, Kelly said.
“Everything we’ve done this year has done better than last year,” Kelly said. “We’re off to a tremendous start.”
He attributes the success of this year’s DJ show to an increase in publicity, especially on the part of the University Housing resident assistants.
Based on this year’s success, Student Programs has decided that Styles & Complete will probably become an annual or semi-annual event at Legends.
“I want to do a DJ dance party until it’s no longer cool,” Kelly said.
Student Programs tries to bring in shows that are relevant to student interests and youth music trends, Kelly said. This fall he has already made plans to bring in Cherub, The Movement, Jim Avett and reggae band SOJA as well as several local bands including Bubonic Funk and Donnie Dies.
“SOJA is one of the most enjoyable reggae bands I’ve heard since Bob Marley,” Kelly said. “It’s going to be a great fall.”
STORY: EMMA SPECKMAN, A&E Reporter
PHOTO: MOLLY COGBURN, Intern Photographer