Student Life at Montclair (SLAM) threw a blast to the past with their first event of the semester, a 2000’s-themed party, on Sept. 9 in the Student Center Ballroom. Montclair State University students came together to celebrate the 2000s by bringing back the joy and nostalgia of those iconic years.
The event was packed with different activities and attractions that reminded students of their most memorable childhood moments. A tattoo artist using an airbrush, t-shirt customization with an airbrush, an embroidery station for making bracelets and a parachute were all things on the list of entertainment. There were plenty of snacks and beverages for everyone, including the always-popular free ice cream truck in front of the Red Hawk Diner during the entire event.
Students having fun with a parachute outside the Student Center.
Photo courtesy of Arely Reyes.
The dance floor was one of the highlights of the night, where students and organizers alike danced non-stop and sang along to their favorite songs.
The DJ had all the 2000’s hits like “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus, “Milkshake” by Kelis, “Baby” by Justin Bieber and even Spanish songs like “Lo Que Paso, Paso” by Daddy Yankee.
Many of the students used the dance floor to show off their dance moves.
Photo courtesy of Arely Reyes.
The originality of the Montclair State students is certainly on another level, and their 2000’s outfits demonstrated this perfectly. Bell bottoms and low rise pants, hip belts and tight and printed tops are some of the fashions that many of the guests wore during the party.
Tyler Tavernier, a senior psychology major, was one of the students who decided to wear a 2000s-themed outfit.
“I had my outfit prepared and everything,” Tavernier said. “My sweater and pants are baggy and I have a chain, big enough like [in the 2000s].”
Tyler Tavernier (right) and friends dancing on the dance floor.
Photo courtesy of Arely Reyes.
The event was also the perfect opportunity for incoming freshmen and transfer students to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere that Montclair State provides for its community.
Anthony Zawrak, a junior theatre studies major and SLAM event coordinator, wanted the first event of the semester to have a unique theme.
“Something I realized was that whenever we had at first events throughout the past few years, [there were] always recurring themes of summer and extending into fall, ” Zawrak said. “I want to change that up.”
Nicole Cabrera-Borrero, a sophomore accounting major and financial director of programming in SLAM, further explained the theme.
“We definitely want to look at the past in order to create completely different events, because we know that there’s been themes and events that have been replicated many times in the past,” Cabrera-Borrero said.
(left to right) Jordan Fiorentino, Aly Erario and Skyler Merchant showing Erario’s personalized shirt.
Photo courtesy of Arely Reyes.
Both Zawrak and Cabrera-Borrero said that with this event, they hoped that everyone had a memorable time and reminisced back to their elementary school days.
Jade Hunter, director of programming at SLAM, mentioned this event was especially geared toward incoming freshmen and transfer students.
“We wanted them to have one last night of fun before classes started and they got really into the groove of it,” Hunter said.
Montclair State students pose in front of a 2000s backdrop.
Photo courtesy of Arely Reyes.
Amaris Canela, a freshman psychology major, said she initially felt nervous about starting a new college year, but she is glad to finally attend face-to-face classes and participate in these types of events.
“I want to get to know more people so I can have more friends on campus, and just have fun,” Canela said.
For many freshmen students, this is the first on-campus evening event they attended.
Photo courtesy of Arely Reyes.
All in all, students had a blast as they time traveled back two decades.
Eyv Matthews, a sophomore psychology major, said she enjoyed the event.
“I came here with kind of just neutral expectations and it exceeded my expectations,” Matthews said.
Canela hopes to see similar events from SLAM.
“I’m definitely expecting more events like this in the future,” Canela said.
