Tati Foor
Staff Writer
Students gathered in the Campus Center Ballroom and danced in what appeared to be complete silence, with headphones glowing in green as they moved to music only they could hear. The Silent Disco was put on by the Campus Activities Board Wednesday with food and drinks included for guests.
Featuring free Raising Cane’s meals and Chick-Fil-A wraps as an additional draw, the event attracted about 30 students in all.
A silent disco is a dance party where attendees listen to music through headphones instead of speakers. Typically, everyone participating can choose their own channel they want to listen to, however at this event there was only one channel so everyone was dancing to the same songs at the same time. When watching from afar, it looks like a room of people dancing in complete silence.
The ballroom was decorated with bright colored decorations on the walls and a large open floor space for students to dance on. The DJ’s table was on one end, and on the opposite side of the room was a table set up that had free glowing sticks, glasses, bracelets and bunny ear headbands.
“Honestly, it was more than I expected,” sophomore business major and event organizer, Emily Melkonyan, said. “I’m pretty happy with [the turnout] because a lot of people stayed to actually enjoy the silent disco dance, which I think is pretty cool.”
Melkonyan had noted she had initial concerns about attendance because typically students just come to CAB events for the free food or merchandise and then leave, but about half of the people who showed up and got food ended up staying for the event itself.
This event was Melkonyan’s first event of the spring semester as the CAB music chair. She mentioned that students can look forward to more events in the coming months, including a musical bingo night.
While the DJ maintained control over the music being played, students were welcome to make requests throughout the night. The playlist featured a diverse range of genres including Latin music, hip-hop and 2000s club music.
“The music was good,” sophomore political science major Amyah Smith said. “2000s club music – Britney Spears, Kesha, Lady Gaga.”
For some students, this wasn’t their first silent disco experience. Senior educational studies major Lilly Dyer has attended CAB’s silent disco events since her sophomore year.
“It’s one of my top five things to do, I’m not even joking,” Dyer said. “I feel like it’s a lot of fun to dance and no one really knows if you’re singing or not.”
When asked whether the headphones made the experience more immersive or isolating, Dyer believed they enhanced the experience.
“I would say that I can be pretty extroverted anyway, but I think for someone who’s more introverted, it can be good for them too,” Dyer said. “Everyone can kind of do their own thing, but everyone’s listening to the same thing.”
CAB’s engaging events like the silent disco exemplify how La Verne creates opportunities for students to interact and build community through fun activities. The campus center ballrooms are large and despite the turnout, freshman psychology major Mia Montano-Velasquez appreciated the communal aspect of the event.
“It feels so much better because everybody’s listening to the same song,” Montano-Velasquez said.
Tati Foor can be reached at tatiana.foor@laverne.edu.
Tati Foor is a junior communications major with a concentration in public relations, and a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Olivia Russo is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print/online journalism and a minor in criminology. She is the Editor-in-Chief for the Campus Times for Spring 2026. She has previously served as the News Editor, LV Life Editor, a photographer and a staff writer for the Campus Times, as well as a staff writer and photographer for La Verne Magazine.
