THOMAS BODOH
STAFF WRITER
On Sept. 15, students wearing colorful mismatched clothes and oversized sunglasses crowded the J.C. Williams Center, all jamming to music under colorful flashing lights. The ’80s Dance Party, sponsored by Residence Life, began at 9 p.m. and lasted until almost midnight.
Most students dressed up for the dance, decked out in goofy glasses, flashy clothes and rainbow bandanas. The groovy music, provided by DJ Andrew Ouellette, residence director of Sts. Kolbe and Clare Residence Halls, kept the crowd singing and boogying nonstop. Numerous ’80s classics like “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” and “Footloose” boomed loudly over the speakers, creating an atmosphere of fun, friendship and endless dancing. Each new song prompted a cheer of enthusiasm and anticipation from the jumping, shimmying, bebopping students.
The J.C. was transformed into a lively multi-colored dance floor with streamers and lights hanging haphazardly from the balconies. Students wearing glowsticks as necklaces, bracelets and headbands added to the fun-filled blur of lights and color. A popular row of tables crammed with chips, cookies, drinks and other refreshments drew students from all corners of the room.
Whether students arrived for the music, the food or just to have a good time, everyone clearly enjoyed themselves in this festive throwback to the ’80s. “The dance was a chance to come together and have a good time celebrating the past,” said Mary Rhodes, a freshman. “It’s also a great way to get some energy out and relax after a long week of classes.”
Students never left the dance floor empty. Several students formed spontaneous conga lines that snaked through the roaring crowd. Others formed dance circles where students could show off their talents. Couples would sporadically break out into swing dancing, guys twirling girls to the beat of the ’80s hits.
When the well-known song “Footloose” began to play, the dancers wasted no time in crowding onto the dance floor with a cheer. Students immediately began performing the line dance that accompanied the 1984 classic, some jumping right in and others working their way into a bouncing, clapping crowd.
True to the mission of the Residence Life staff, the ’80s Dance Party fostered a spirit of dynamic community life. Such events provide the chance to make new connections, become closer to friends and classmates and experience the unifying enthusiasm of the student body at Franciscan University of Steubenville.