Students showcase an array of talent through Diversity Dance Party
2 min readBRIAN MCLAUGHLIN
Multicultural weekend at University of Mary Washington is a time that many students cherish and look forward to as an opportunity to embrace and learn about the many cultures within the UMW community. Varieties of music, food, clothing and dancing are all major focal points of the weekend, and the Celebrating Cultural Diversity Weekend Dance Party was an exciting exhibition of culture and talent.
The beautiful spring weather on Saturday, April 11, the night of the event, kept students out of their dorms and crowding in the Underground.
Assistant Director of Admissions Shelley Hillberry said the venue was “expecting at least 75 people, 30 of which are prospective fall 2014 students.”
The coordinators did an excellent job preparing for the event. There was an appetizing spread of wings and pretzels with a variety of sauces and soda to drink.
The event was well advertised, and most people there knew about it beforehand. Many students saw the flyers and some heard about it through word of mouth.
There were also a few attendees who were walking by and heard the pumping, bass-heavy music and decided to check out the event.
DJ and UMW senior Kevin Graham, got the students up off their feet starting with the cha-cha slide. He also played some current and trendy electronic and dance mix songs.
Immediately after Graham got the crowd energized, Goody, the local and well-loved band featuring Mason and Tanner Carlton and EJ Willis, took the stage.
Mason said he was “very excited” for the event and that the band was “hoping for a lot of new fans, because a lot of the people are still high schoolers.”
Most of the students were also very excited to see the band at the event.
Molly Burns, sophomore, said “I love Goody, so when I heard they were playing tonight I had to see them.”
The event made clear that UMW students have talent when it comes to dancing. Moreover, most of the students who attended the event did not shy away from the dance floor; it was a very lively crowd.
Nevertheless, the life of the party was definitely the band. Goody had a strong performance, and they kept the audience engaged and dancing their hardest.
