Mackenzie Hurlbert – General Assignment Reporter –
The coffee lounge of Conn Hall was filled with lounging, laughing students watching one brave soul after another step up to the mic. Karaoke night was not new to Southern events, considering this was the third time this semester Programs Council has held it in Conn, but because of its increased advertising as part of the ProCon Madness week, the turnout on Wednesday, Mar. 13 was a success.
Jamila Young, junior journalism major, organized the event on behalf of ProCon and said the turnout seemed promising in comparison to the previous karaoke events. “There is not always the biggest turn out. This is our third one, but we are doing a week of ProCon madness, and this is a part of that,” said Young. “I’m guessing more people are coming because of that… This is a bigger turnout than the last few times we’ve had it.”
Members of ProCon helped to organize Karaoke night at Conn Hall last Wednesday.
Young said they usually have 10 to 12 participants, but people are usually there for the entertainment, not to sing. “Not a lot of people want to sing,” said Young. “So it usually takes a while to get things started.”
Once everything was up and running, it did not take long for volunteers to grab the mic and bravely burst out into song. Along with current hits like Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” classics like Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” were performed by students. Along with singing, some participants broke out in dance moves.
“It’s going well! A lot of people are already showing up,” said Briana Cologna, a past member of ProCon and current supporter who assisted Young in setting up for the event.
ProCon is a large organization on campus that plans and holds events for the student body. Marissa Lavorgna, sophomore elementary and special education major, is the acoustic concert programmer for ProCon, and says she loves organizing entertainment for students on campus. “I’m still trying to find new ways to get people to my shows but last night’s turnout was amazing,” said Lavorgna, who organized the Kingston concert Monday night. “So I think we are on to something. I love it and I hope the student body loves it too and that they appreciate it. It’s free! I hope they take advantage of it.”
The creation of ProCon Madness week came about as a lucky coincidence, Lavorgna explained. “It just so happened that each of our committees planned an event on separate days but all in one week, so we decided to do something with it,” she said. “If you go to seven out of the 11 events including two of our meetings, you bring your punch card back to the office, and you get a free t-shirt.”
A Southern student sings Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” with assistance from back-up dancers.
“It’s a good way to stay involved and get the word out about what’s fun around campus,” said Cologna about ProCon. “I know we need to work a bit on getting the word out, but I figure a good way to do that is to get involved with it.”
Lavorgna said ProCon has a core group of committee members, but that they often hold meetings open to the student body. “We have about 12 people active in the committee and then we have our body meetings, so it’s open to the entire school and whoever wants to come. We have a couple regulars that come all of the time.” Participating in ProCon allows students to meet new people and have a say in organizing events on campus, like the karaoke night.
While having the karaoke event in Conn makes it noticeable and draws students in, it is often out of reach for commuters and residents without meal plans who would have to pay to access the event. “We are thinking of moving it to the ballroom. I know that commuters that might want to do it don’t want to come, or even residents who don’t have a meal plan would have to pay still,” said Young. “Putting it in the ballroom for next semester will be easier.”
