The African Student Organization (ASO) continued this year’s Africa Week with the African Social and Party held in the University Student Union’s Grand Salon Monday night.
The social event took place as a way to encourage social networking among the black population at CSUN according to the ASO Vice President Samantha Carroll, a business management major.
‘ Carroll said the purpose of the event was to create a casual, yet fun, setting for the students to mingle and listen to music while dancing.
The event featured Gamal Adams, also known as ‘DJ Nice,’ who typically mixes African music, hip-hop, dancehall and soca at clubs, house parties and weddings.’ As advertised, the DJ delivered by playing big hits such as Sean Paul’s ‘Get Busy’ and Beyonce’s ‘Naughty Girl.’
‘The music is great,’ said Joseph James, an art major. ‘I am also enjoying the refreshments.’
From early on, Carroll said she had a positive outlook on how the event would turn out and believed more people would show up to make it a success.
Kraigg Riggs, a computer engineering major, agreed with Carroll.’ ‘ ‘
‘(The event) has a lot of potential and the night is still young,’ Riggs said.
As the night went on, over a hundred people showed up that night to enjoy the music and socialize.
Although the social event was initially intended to attract more of an African-American audience, students from a number of different ethnic backgrounds were in attendance.
At one point during the night, several students were on the stage adjacent to the DJ booth doing the electric slide, a popular traditional African-American dance performed at weddings, parties and just about any social gathering.’ Throughout the night, dances from the dancehall culture such as Pon the River, Pon the Bank and Dutty Wine could be seen in every corner of the dance floor.
DaRon Bell, a kinesiology major, showed up to the event with his roommates as a last minute decision and was pleasantly surprised at how much fun they had.
‘I had fun dancing with my friends. I networked and made new friends,’ Bell said. Bell added he would like more events like this on campus.
