William Ingalls

I was never correctly taught the rules of the week. It was always my impression that the weekend lasted from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. But in college the weekend starts on Thursday, and what better way to kick it off than with the smooth spinning of a pair of DJs and a little dancing to get the blood flowing. On September 15, Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Electronic Dance Music Club teamed up to bring RIT a good time complete with music, dancing, and enough strobe lights to induce a seizure in a blind man.

The aptly named TKE Electronic Dance Music Basement Bash, asked a $1 cover charge, which will directly benefit both groups and allow them to put on similar events in the future. TKE provided the venue — the darkened basement under their house in Residence Hall A, and EDM provided the music. The DJs played everything from top 40 pop to techno to a mishmash of electronica I’m told is dubstep. As has come to be expected at these sorts of events the dancing was slow to get started. Much like a high school dance, people stood around in their circles of three or four, looking around and awaiting an icebreaker. The music was comfortably loud; thumping through the room to make people aware there was a party but not so loud that people couldn’t converse outside the main dance area. Largely populated by the TKE members residing upstairs, the bash had a very casual feel to it, something to start shaking off the blues of the waning week and gear up for the collegiate weekend.

Two hours after the event started people just arriving asked, “Why is no one dancing?” and those who had been there all night had to wonder the same thing. But eventually that magic song of the night came up and provoked people to dance. It was Beethoven’s 5th strangely enough. As those four notes pounded through the speakers, something finally clicked. It was crowded enough that one person dancing wasn’t distinguishable from another, and as soon as a small group of students began to move, the beat became infectious and mob mentality took over as everyone started to pulse to the music.

The bash now in full swing, the DJs had a chance to really show their stuff and whip the crowd of about 100 into a frenzy of limbs and glow-sticks. As they led everyone out of any initial hesitation, the energy in the room increased ten-fold and each new request from the DJs was met with greater and greater enthusiasm. By the end of the night, people were thoroughly spent and sweaty but nonetheless happy and buzzing with the music still ringing in their ears.

Events like these are a great way to blow off steam and get familiar with the myriad groups on campus. Anna Whistler, a third year animation student and the president of the Electronic Dance Music Club, ensures that the club will be putting on many other events, pairing with various organizations to bring their unique style of music to as many people as they can. The club itself is a group of students who are interested in DJ-ing and producing music electronically, as well as many who simply enjoy listening to and discussing the genre. Last year EDM was a huge presence at FreezeFest, holding the Point Zero Dance Party, an all-night glow stick extravaganza that the club hopes to repeat several times over this coming year. Events will feature some guest DJs as well as students, so next time someone asks if you want to party in a dorm basement, don’t be so quick to condemn — you may just end up having fun.