Campus Conversation

With dozens of people recklessly dancing to the strains of ’80s music and a party-wide rendition of Jimmy Buffett’s “Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw,” the event was a scandalous display of drag and debauchery, all for the low price of three dollars.

No, TAP does not charge admission now. It was the fourth annual players’ Ball, an event hosted by the men’s basketball team to raise funds and the campus blood-alcohol level.

Of the several lip sync acts, some of the loudest cheers went to the acts of the sophomores and juniors on the mens’ basketball team, who performed an ’80s medley and the “Risky Business” underwear scene respectively and who seemed to enjoy the attention just a little too much.

The Player’s Ball top prize, however, went to a group of senior girls who performed *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” and Britney Spear’s ‘Oops, I Did It Again.” This may simply have been because their act was choreographed, as opposed to the seemingly indiscriminate grinding of other groups. Or perhaps it was due to the fact that at one point in their act the senior girls ripped their shirts off-to reveal tank tops underneath.

Despite this pleasing stunt, Ryan Faulkner ’03, who depicted a New Kid on the Block, said that the win was “horseshit.”

Most were pleased with the night’s events, however. As organizer Pat Taverna ’02 said of senior Abe Sexson’s act, “There’s nothing like seeing a 6’10” Greek kid lip-sync to “Sweet Child of Mine.”

Off-Key Karaoke

This past Saturday night, Amherst students sang with their mouths full at the Asian Students’ Association’s annual “Karaoke Dumpling Night” in the Octagon. Many people had the chance to perform either planned or impromptu numbers in front of a large crowd.

One of the night’s highlights came when Dan Kim ’03, Sam Jeng ’03 and Andy Xue ’03 serenaded Yunny Chen ’02 with “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” while crawling around the room on their knees in pursuit of her. Although their performance was completely unplanned, according to Xue, “We figured it was fitting to address the song to her because she lives on our hall and always yells at us for being too noisy after she has gone to bed.”

Another group-Maurita Tam ’01, Christy Lee ’03 and Megan Lau ’03-did a choreographed version of *NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me.” They had been practicing the piece for several weeks before the event-but just for fun-ironically, they originally had no intention of performing.

It was the gathering’s friendly atmosphere that finally inspired the trio to take the stage while the audience sang. Tam said that she felt comfortable in the Octagon’s “cozy environment,” and Lee, a “total *NSYNC fan,” found the event enjoyable because her friends who watched her were “very supportive afterward.”

The Big Chill

Saturday night was characterized by the always enriching beer-guzzling, butt-grinding festivities, but some chose to forego backing their asses up in favor of a more laid back gathering in the Frontroom.

“Late Night Chill” was the brainchild of Jes Therkelsen ’02, who decided that his Marsh house project should celebrate “music, dance, painting, writing, thinking, creating, watching, being.” To this end, he supplied paint, posterboard, pads of paper, pens, musical instruments and snacks.

“Sometimes a lot of Saturday nights kind of roll together, and a lot of times, I would have liked to have had something like this to express myself differently from the way I would at a party, a change of pace now and then,” Therkelsen explained.

Those in attendance seemed to appreciate this alternative environment. “I thought it was really neat. It was a total contrast from the normal Saturday night activities,” said Julie Babayan ’03, who doodled and wrote while listening to other students jam. “You sort of had to take part in it if you were in that general atmosphere.”