Students Sample the Stevie Night Life
By Nabilah Talib

The Students of Caribbean Ancestry know how to throw a party. From last year’s SOCA Bash to this year’s Fall Bashment, the members of SOCA have kept up their enthusiasm to represent Caribbean style and flavor.
This year’s festivities where held in Stevenson’s Longman room, a classy upgrade from the Maze. This year’s event sported colorful decorations, spray painted posters, plants and lights transforming the dining hall into a small island celebrating Carnival. In the Caribbean Carnival is a time of celebrating music, dance and pride.
The sounds of Caribbean hip-hop, reggae, dancehall, calypso, merengue and salsa filled the room with dancing bodies all night long. One song that kept the room hot was “Give me the Light” by Sean Paul; everybody, Caribbean or not, was on the dance floor moving to the beat. Caribbean music is special in that it tells a story of celebration, which incites certain types of dancing.
The main highlight of the night was the Whyne contest, a dance that focuses on rolling, shaking and rotating the hips and torso. This can be danced alone, with a partner or in circle of people. With larger groups of people Whynin’ is done in a circle or semi circle with a few in the center and others dancing around, keeping to the African aesthetic of dance.
“Dance is for both men and women because in the Caribbean, people are more comfortable with sexuality,” Sophomore SOCA member TreZure Taylor said. “But it’s not dirty dancing.” Bashments are supposed to be sensual and communal leaving no one out even those who choose to “hold the wall up.”
Bashments are about the community coming together and dancing and sweating until you can’t anymore. Groups of mostly Latinos and African Americans, male and female Obies, created circles in which they commune in their own ways through dance. SOCA member Junior Caren Blackmore was glad to see partygoers quickly grab a partner to salsa and merengue.
“You could see people were serious about dancing and having a good time,” Blackmore said.
Bashments are also event to see and to be seen. Creative attire is important, so many partygoers and SOCA members alike came dressed to impress whether in creatively made tops and cultural colors and flags or sassy outfits that were hard to miss.
All in all, this year’s Fall Bashment was definitely a hit and kept its promise of being the place to be last weekend.

September 27
October 4

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