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’80s dance offers hope to LB student nightlife

Ryan Henson
The Commuter

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Student Kia Linton thrills the crowd with “Thriller.” Photo by Maya Lazaro.

For those hoping to fill their social calendars with excuses to make friends and get a little sweaty, Linn-Benton Community College dances may soon become a staple of student nightlife, as LBCC’s ’80s-themed Halloween dance kicked off last Thursday with ear-thumping disco and over-the-top costumes.

Throngs of students decked out in ’80s attire rolled into the Commons at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29 to experience an evening of food, fun, frolic and of course, the pleasure of Rick Astley’s smooth baritone vocals. Girls in leg warmers and leopard print dresses dominated the dance floor while guys with wigs straight out of a Poison video did their best impressions of John Travolta.

As costumed students entered the Commons they were greeted by the Student Programming Board and given free glow jewelry. Spider webs and spook-tacular lighting created a creepy yet campy atmosphere ideal for students wanting to shake their groove thang while DJ Scott Sanders offered up a perfect blend of ’80s disco hits and hip-hop beats. Bowls filled with sweet treats satisfied sugar cravings as students rocked out under a shower of LED lights. In the spirit of Halloween, Sanders played a humorous “trick” on the crowd when he gave them a surprise Rickrolling.

Some of the costume highlights included Student Body President Nic Bowman and his wife Nicole as blocky Lego pieces, Heidi Smith dressed as an ethereal woodland fairy, and Commuter contributor Bonnie Starr in a steampunk-inspired creation – a handcrafted character she dubbed “Driscilla Langridge, navigator of the airship ‘Persephone.’”

The event, organized by the Student Programming Board and hosted by LBCC’s student government leaders, provided an opportunity for tired students to let loose and wiggle away stress. Attendees arrived excited and nervous, but after a few hours of head banging, toe-tapping and booty-shaking, they left the Commons relaxed and ready for sleep, their dance cravings sated.

“I danced so much I’m tired!” Chris Wiencek yelled over the music as the event neared its end. Wiencek had started the evening in full retail clerk attire, but lost his vest and tie by the time the dance entered its final half-hour, the extra clothes too hot and stuffy for the amount of movement in the room.

Kia Linton, who entertained attendees with a well-rehearsed rendition of Michael Jackson moves as “Thriller” reverberated off the walls, said, “I just like to dance, and this is a good excuse to do it.”

Although no new dances have been announced as of yet, students who attended the ’80s-themed Halloween dance look forward to going to more if the opportunity arises.

“It’s a reason to go out and have some fun,” said Jillia Frishkorn, whose off-the-shoulder T-shirt and side ponytail made her look like an extra in a “Sixteen Candles” remake, “and it beats doing homework.”

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