Students gathered for the first That Big Party (TBP) since COVID-19 caused the closure of campus last semester. The dance was held on Derthick Lawn on Friday night.
The event went better than expected.
“Moving TBP to campus was something that we were hesitant about,” said the Student Government Association (SGA) president, Dalton Shell.
“It appeared to work much better than expected, allowing students who were away for various sporting events the chance to come late and still participate.”
SGA worked hard to make sure the event came together.
“Everyone came together and worked really hard to create a great event,” said SGA senate member Annalea Hines. “TBP is one of my favorite events of the semester and I’m really glad despite COVID we were able to still have it, even if it looked a little different than years past.”
The new venue was a hit. Lasting for more than three hours, students kept the dance party exciting for the entirety of the event.
“It was so exciting to see everyone together,” said Senior Valentina Kenjeres.“There were some people I saw that I’ve never seen without a mask on, so it was such a good feeling to just be with other students and enjoy dancing.”
The dancing seemed to be a hit for many students.
“TBP was the best thing that’s happened so far in 2021,’ said Junior Bekah Owen. “The dancing was great, but what really made it was the sense of community that I haven’t felt since before COVID hit. The only thing that was missing was a bigger dance floor!”
A few of the students sported bruises and abrasions from the close quarters on the dance floor.
“I saw a bunch of people get a bit knocked around,” said Owen. “But everyone took it in stride. It would have been a bit easier to dance if there was more room because I could barely move my shoulders!”
The event marked a return to an almost pre-covid normalcy for Milligan’s campus.
“I thought TBP was a major success,” said Shell.
“In a year where everything has been so up in the air, students have been craving these types of events and interactions.”
For seniors, it was the last all-campus event of their time at Milligan. Other students will have to wait for next year.
Headline photo: Students gather on the outside dance floor set up on Derthick Lawn. Photo from SGA.