The Campus Activities Board approached this year’s silent disco a little differently, earning the title of the loudest silent disco ever attempted. What started as a fun twist on the traditional silent disco ended with two students hospitalized, angry residents and pages of police reports.
On Friday, the Campus Center filled with hundreds of students. CAB spent most of this year’s budget on huge speakers and earplugs, which were distributed instead of the typical headphones.
However, the disco took a turn for the worse. Two students mistakenly took their earplugs out and suffered eardrum ruptures, but their screams of pain were washed out by the loud music.
“I just wanted to be fully immersed in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’” said Earl Drumet, a junior marketing major from Fort Worth. “My friend and I thought we’d be fine if it was just for one song.”
Drumet was sadly mistaken, though. He and his friend, Amy Stake, a senior nursing major from Abilene, instantly put the earplugs back in and crawled their way toward campus police.
Luckily for them, ACUPD had just arrived because of noise complaints from nearby residents.
“The only reason it was called ‘silent’ was because they couldn’t hear themselves,” said Chief of Police Mason Elvis. “But trust me, everyone else did.”
Despite the event being organized by CAB, ACUPD decided it would be best to shut it down. When officers arrived to break up the gathering, they struggled to communicate with students wearing earplugs.
“We tried flashing the lights and waving our arms,” Officer Elvis said, “but they just thought it was part of the show.”
Eventually, students were ushered out, and Drumet and Stake were taken to the emergency room.
“I knew the second we reached the part in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ that says ‘Galileo’ a bunch, that my right eardrum was messed up,” Stake said. “But that part slaps so hard, it was worth it.”
Despite the problems, some students enjoyed the event and appreciated the change. Al Beback, junior computer science major from Las Vegas, yelled that he doesn’t get out much, so it was the most fun he ever had.
“What better way to spend a Friday than by screaming to ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ at the top of your lungs with 500 of your closest friends?” Beback said.
On Wednesday, the Medical and Counseling Care Center will have post-event voice therapy sessions available to all students.
CAB has promised to “rethink” future silent disco themes, but organizers are already planning next month’s event: Invisible Rave – The Party You Can’t See. The blindfolds have already been ordered.
