Sonoma State students gathered Saturday night in the Student Center Ballroom for the first dance of the school year. DJ Earworm, a San Francisco based artist, provided the entertainment for the night with his unique collection of “Mashup” music.  

Sonoma State scored big having DJ Earworm at this event; his music has become popular around the world and he has performed at venues in Singapore and the UK. His popular mashup style layers songs over one another to build momentum and create an exciting atmosphere.

 Earworm hit the charts with his 2007 mashup, United State of Pop, which featured the top 25 songs of 2007 and artists like Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake and Fergie. On December 25, 2008, DJ Earworm released another mashup called United State of Pop 2008 (Viva la Pop), featuring Coldplay’s song “Viva la Vida” as the backing track. The mashup peaked at number 70 on Billboard’s now defunct Pop 100 Airplaychart.  

The Ballroom was able to hold all 1,000 people that bought tickets- a great turn out for the first big event of the 2014/2015 school year. It seemed as though the majority of the students were having a great time and enjoying the music provided by DJ Earworm. 

Sonoma State Junior, Amy Lee, believes the dance was a great way to bring the student body together after the first week of classes. Although a majority of the tickets were bought by Freshman, fun was enjoyed by all grades. 

Sean Tadlock, a junior and CSA in the Tuscany village, really enjoyed the dance and thought “the lights made the setting even better.”  DJ Earworm’s unique mashup of music complimented the lighting in the ballroom as sounds pulsed and lights flickered. The dark setting with colorful lights really made the dance feel more like a rave than an on-campus event. 

A dance is a great way to bring a community of students together in one setting and allow everyone to attend. The Student Center ballroom has hosted several campus events now and has been an incredible resource for the students. Not only could the tickets be bought on the first floor, but the Student Center is also located in the middle of campus- easy access for people of all grades. 

In addition, since its on campus and close to all of the dorm villages, people can walk to the dance instead of having to drive. This reduces the chance of driving under the influence, and makes it easier for students to get home safely. 

Had the dance been off campus somewhere, many of the students living on campus most likely would not have attended. It’s convenient and much safer for students to be able to walk to the venue instead of having to find a ride. 

Campus police were able to escort people back to their dorms who needed assistance and help with any other conflicts. Nikki Lougee, a Junior who works at the Student Center front desk, was highly impressed with the amount of tickets bought and was glad that freshman were getting involved with campus activities. 

“The best way to meet people is to attend these events,” Nikki said. “Plus it was free. Why wouldn’t you go?” 

All in all, the Welcome Back dance was a huge success and was a great way to kick off the new school year.