By Colin Ahern – Opinions Editor

A cold night landscape on the eve of stress, wind blowing and carrying flurries of snow along half-cracked roads, students drifted along the various walkways, roads, and desire paths that serve as the arteries that connect the various buildings that serve as the organs of the university. This bleak plain, however, did not creep into the hearts of students as they walked to their favorite local watering hole for an evening of untold revelry.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, I had the pleasure of attending Residence Life’s karaoke night at the Gait with several of my friends. While the night began slowly, the event beginning at 6 p.m., people steadily trickled in and sang their songs of choice, all the while cheering their peers on. From the Beatles to Nirvana, the dim room was saturated with the sounds of delight and risk-taking. Those not looking to sing or dance congregated around the pool table, which was surrounded for the entirety of the night by both players and onlookers. Bartenders, administration, students, and RAs displayed their various aptitudes at singing, to the immense pleasure of the customers. 

For those brave enough to step forth and try their hand at singing, a sticky floor and two microphones awaited. The low lights and myriad of smells disarmed brave singers and created an intimate and friendly environment. While there were gaps in songs at the beginning, after friends began to dare one another in exchange for drinks, a long line quickly formed, with interested parties submitting song requests on paper slips brought to the DJ at the front of the room. While the bar began empty, within the better part of two hours it was quickly full of frigid students seeking refuge from the cold in the form of drinks and laughter. 

Along with the classic karaoke sing-along songs and punk rock anthems, several talented singers performed songs like the Beatles’ “Blackbird,” “Hey there Delilah” by the Plain White T’s, and Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie.” This event, one of the first hosted by Residence Life this semester, was undoubtedly successful and demands an increase in the frequency of residence events in casual venues like the Gait. 

While this event was likely conceived as a simple night of fun, it does herald in the new semester with a hopeful view on art at Bishop’s. In the late phases of the fall semester, similar events, hosted in Paterson Assembly Hall and the Art Lab, offered a venue for amateur artists to try their hand at creating visual art. Karaoke night will hopefully be the first of many opportunities this semester for upcoming artists to further hone their skills, growing the burgeoning creative scene at Bishop’s.