Between the strobing disco lights, tie-dye ensembles and a hard-covered floor packed by students roller-skating, one might mistake this past Saturday for the ‘70s at Marquette.
The Student Wellness Center partnered with Late Night Marquette to host a decade-themed event at the Alumni Memorial Union Nov. 5, featuring crafts, prizes, and a breakfast-for-dinner buffet. The Monaghan Ballroom was equipped with music and disco lights, and participants were encouraged to deck out in ’70s-themed attire.
Attendance was high, particularly on the crowded skating floor; at one point, there was a line nearly out the door of students waiting their turn to substitute their shoes for pairs of skates.
For Melissa Variny, a senior at the College of Business Administration and organizer of the event, the successful student turnout came as a pleasant surprise.
“I was not sure how many people would show up, because these things can be hit-or-miss, especially on the weekends. I’m really happy a lot of students showed up, it’s cool to see everyone having fun with their friends and being able to do something fun on campus that’s not related to drinking,” Variny said.
Late Nights gatherings usually consist of activity-based events, with bingo and crafts persisting as more frequent occurrences.
Variny explained that organizers wanted to branch out beyond these endeavors and introduce an event that would appeal to students looking to try out something new, or to simply engage in a unique night of fun unlike anything else they had yet experienced on campus.
“We wanted to do something that would excite people… this is something that’s fun and exciting and that you don’t get to do every day,” Variny said.
Equipped with a pair of retro neon sunglasses and a Strawberry Shortcake shirt on trend for the era, Elizabeth Dungan, a senior at the College of Health Sciences, expressed enthusiasm for the creativity behind this event.
“Being on Marquette’s campus, sure if you go into the city there’s a lot to do, but right on campus there’s usually not many things to do, besides going out to eat. Having somewhere where you can come and do something fun, like roller-skating… is really cool because there’s usually not that many options,” Dungan said.
Mia Herring, a junior in the College of Communication, said she does not normally attend Late Night events but found the promise of skating enticing and recruited some friends to go check it out.
“I’ve been to some of the bingos and trivia, but I don’t attend as much. This event just sounded interesting, and I love skating and the ’70s theme, so I decided to come out,” Herring said.
This sentiment was echoed by Andy Perino, a first-year at the College of Arts and Sciences, who found the promise of roller-skating and breakfast foods too promising to pass up.
“I’ve only been to bingo with Late Night Marquette, so I was not expecting this kind of [event] to be offered here. But it’s really cool. I was just coming with some friends, just kind of a night out, just hanging out, finding something to do,” said Perino.
The event was assuredly a success and rewarding in offering more exposure towards Late Night functions. For news on upcoming events, students can sign up for the newsletter on the Marquette website under the Office and Engagement and Inclusion, or follow the organization on Instagram through the handle @latenightmu for extra updates and information.
This story was written by Fiona Flowers. She can be reached at [email protected]
