ViCE mixes it up with new DJ Discovery Night in Mug

"People go to the Mug on Wednesday nights?" one student asked me upon hearing that there was a new Matthew's Mug Night set to take place on Wednesdays, a night usually consumed by schoolwork, extracurriculars and meetings.

However, there is now a reason to go out on Wednesday. Vassar College Entertainment's (ViCE) "DJ Discovery Night," also known as "ViCE Presents...." newly instated this month, will take place every Wednesday night from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. for the rest of the school year. "The name DJ Discovery Night is something that our [Student Activities Resource Center] intern came up with to put on the calendar," explained Sean Shoemaker '12, ViCE Special Events committee chair. "But it will actually be named differently based on the event." For the past few years, Wednesday Mug nights have had specific themes—last year it was "The Hump" and the two years before that, "80s Night." So why the change?

"I know there are a lot of DJs out there who would love to DJ the Mug but have a hard time gaining access to it because you can only register a Mug night if you are part of a student organization," explained Sarah Morrison '10, Assistant Director of ViCE. "With our ‘DJ Sharkattackz Presents' night anyone who is interested can contact us and schedule a Wednesday night to DJ."

DJ Discovery Night does not limit Wednesday to a specific theme, but rather allows for many different genres and themes on a weekly basis. "We are always excited to hear about new DJs who are interested," says Morrison.

The Mads Vassar Mug Night took place on Oct. 6, and was one of the first two official DJ Discovery Nights of the year. "While the crowd wasn't as big as those on weekend nights, the event drew a lot of publicity not only for my blog, but also for the new ‘DJ Discovery Night' series," said Max Kutner '11, who hosted the event. He was optimistic that Wednesdays could become just as popular as weekend Mug nights. "Wednesday nights will have to build their popularity, but I'm confident that if the music and the atmosphere are inviting, students will come. After all, Wednesdays used to be '80s nights and had an almost cult-like following."

Hannah La Follette Ryan '14 won the ViCE Circus student DJ competition earlier this semester, and wants to DJ for the event in the future. "Nothing makes me happier [than DJing]", she explained. "In a lot of ways [DJing] is a one-sided music swap. What makes DJing electrifying and terrifying is the spotlight. I get to see instantaneously what moves the crowd and what doesn't, for better or for worse, but that's why I love it."

The ultimate goal of "DJ Discovery Night" is to create a venue for gaining experience without having to jump through endless hoops scheduling wise, which is what one normally must do to book a Mug Night.

"The Mug gets so booked up during the other nights of the week that it becomes difficult for a small or unofficial organization to have an event," added Kutner. On the contrary, getting involved with "DJ Discovery Night" could not be more simple or easy. "People who are interested in DJing can come up to us and just request a date," commented Alejandro Calcano '11, one of the founders of the event. "It will give a chance to up-and-coming student DJs to practice, or whoever wants to just throw a Wednesday night party to do so!"