A day full of music, dance and cotton candy!

As Muhlenberg was greeted with warm weather, along with it came a busy past weekend filled with many incredible events. The Muhlenberg community greeted accepted and incoming students with Through the Red Doors, and the Muhlenberg Theatre Association (MTA) put on their semesterly Studios productions. On Saturday afternoon, the Office of Multicultural Life held a block party on Chew Street that was immediately followed by the “Who’s The Boss” Mayhem Step Team showcase in Seegers Union. 

Despite facing minor hiccups from the weather, the block party trucked on, providing fun for attendees throughout the afternoon. When walking down Chew Street, attendees could hear the music and excitement all the way from Seegers.

People ran around with water guns, played hopscotch, basketball or just danced to the music and watched the student performances. Along with fun activities, the party also had popcorn, snow cones and cotton candy that people could make themselves. Also on display were performances from our student body, featuring performances from Charlotte Alexander ‘25, Steven Belloise ‘25, the Muhlenberg Dynamics, InAcchord and Gospel Choir, among others. 

“Preparing for the first performance for Poised Ivy was exciting but at the same time nerve-wracking…”

– Dynasty Adams ‘25

One of the other performances of the afternoon was the inaugural performance of the new Majorette dance team, Poised Ivy. The dance team is one of the newest additions to Muhlenberg’s ever-expanding list of clubs. 

Dynasty Adams ‘25, president and founder of Poised Ivy, said, “Preparing for the first performance for Poised Ivy was exciting but at the same time nerve-wracking… It was a lot of pressure given that we had to and still have to prove the importance of diversifying the dance culture on Muhlenberg’s campus.” 

“Because it’s a dance form most people here are not familiar with, the pressure of the first revelation was really coming from a place of fear of conveying that only certain people can do it. When in actuality the intention behind bringing it here was to convey that we should all step out of our comfort zone, try new things, and maybe you can discover doing something you never thought you’d be able to do initially,” continued Adams

“There was a lot of good energy and everyone seemed to have a good time… The best part of the block party was definitely the music and the snow cones and cotton candy. InAcchord is so happy to have been asked to perform, we had such a great time and we would love to do it again in the future,” said Evie Carlin ‘24, a member of the a cappella group.

Another artist, Sarah Wedeking ‘24, performed with her band Ukelear Meltdown. The band consists of Wedeking, Madi Leonard ‘24 and Anna Mikoski ‘24. 

Wedeking said, “I performed with my band at the party, and it was so amazing to see dance, music and people out on such a nice day. It made me realize how much I missed this kind of fun since the pandemic. Practicing for the event was so much fun; my friends and I always wanted to make music together. This event let us face our stage fright and have a good time. I just loved the vibe of the block party… it was something we really needed after being in isolation for so long.”

“Who’s The Boss” dominated the rest of the day with a performance from the Mayhem Step Team, amongst other groups. The Mayhem Step Team Showcase was joined by Top Naach, MINT and—visiting from Albright College—the Xion dance team. The show ended with a performance from the Mayhem Step Team. 

“We can educate people through our bodies and seeing other groups perform affirmed that for me.”

– Jordan West ‘23

Co-captain of Mayhem Step Team, Jordan West ‘23 commented, “This show had a storyline and that created more crowd reaction. We decided to make acting an aspect of this step performance, and that’s what made it different from our other step performances. As we continue to grow and evolve we plan to keep giving the audience a new experience.” 

Mayhem Step Team member Keanna Peña ‘25 said, “The whole day was just so exciting. I’m really glad my friends got to spend the day at the block party and then enjoy our showcase. This show was really fun to be a part of and we had a lot of fun preparing for it.”

West continued, “The show was amazing, and I believe it brought the step team closer. To see and hear how our hard work was acknowledged made it all feel worth it. Seeing other groups performing is important to me. We all bring different lessons and experiences with our dancing. We can educate people through our bodies and seeing other groups perform affirmed that for me.”