On Jan. 31, the Residence Hall Association (RHA) hosted Silent Disco of the Decades. At their first large-scale event of the spring, wireless headphones filled students’ ears with tunes from 1950 to 2025. Each student programmed their personal speaker to play music from a decade that made them feel groovy.
This was one of the first wide-reaching events at The Landing, a newly renovated space in Ellicott Complex. Located in Fargo Quadrangle, The Landing is now considered the ‘front door’ of Ellicott. This space was available for student use late last fall, but its grand opening waited for the spring ‘25 semester.
“I think [The Landing] is really nice… I like how they designed it to be student friendly with the mix of study spaces and the little sofas on the stairs,” RHA’s Vice President of Engagement Jada Mowatt said. “It's definitely refreshing… Ellicott needed a little refreshing center area.”
Many students enjoy The Landing’s convenient location. Ellicott residents like that they can leave their dorm room to hangout, study and relax without having to go outside.
Many students had never heard of a silent disco before RHA’s event, but The Landing’s close proximity encouraged them to attend.
“We surveyed people in the beginning of the semester during our first large scale event, RHA rodeo, and some people actually recommended silent disco,” Mowatt said. “I feel like we've done the whole, loud party stuff already, so we're like, ‘Let's try something new.’”
While unfamiliar students were skeptical about a silent disco, they did not regret their attendance. In between dances, attendees raved about the event.
“I’m having the time of my life right now,” sophomore history and education major Zaya Boychinksy said. “People who are just walking through here, they’re like, ‘What are they doing?’ But I like it because if you're screaming, yelling, singing, only you can hear it really, so people can't really judge you for that.”
Many students admired the creativity of the silent disco, citing that its nontraditional nature offers something for everyone.
“I feel like a silent disco is better for people who are sensitive to loud noises because it could control the volume,” sophomore chemistry major Marianne Akiwwumi said. “A regular disco is also fun too, but I think a silent disco is more inclusive for those kinds of people.”
Aside from personalized music and dancing, the biggest hit amongst students was the retro video game arcade. Students battled in nostalgic favorites like Street Fighter II and Pac-Man.
“That's actually so cool that they have these old arcade games here, and the fact that you can just play as many times as you want is great,” sophomore history and gender studies major Juliana Yanick said.
RHA’s silent disco topped the charts for UB’s student body, and The Landing was a spacious dance floor. This harmonious kick-off to the semester left students eager to attend more events like this in the future.
Haley DiMisa is the assistant features editor and can be reached at haley.dimisa@ubspectrum.com
