It was September 11, a night to remember at the Hawk’s Nest at Quincy University, which is quiet most of the time except for SAAC meetings once a month, but it became the liveliest place on campus. Janice Dawson, who is a graduate assistant on campus was the coordinator. With unlimited energy and creativity she planned a karaoke and snack night that spread like wildfire across campus. Flyers posted everywhere deemed music and most importantly, free snacks, and a cash bar for students who were 21 or older.

By the time it was 7:00 p.m., The Nest was buzzing with excitement and blue lights lit up the stage area, and gave it a warm/fun feel. The tables were fully laden with bowls of chips, candy, popcorn, and even nachos that had everyone lining up for.

“I wanted to do karaoke on campus because I know a lot of students do participate in Jed’s Karaoke but some can’t get in due to it being a bar so I wanted to provide a space on campus so that everybody can come together and do stuff that we can do. We share different things on campus so all the vibes are separated so just bringing people together for a common theme like for people’s love of music. I felt this was a good way to do that so I am excited to see,” Dawson said.

To kick off the evening, Dawson started with “NOIKA” by Drake. A duo opened with an upbeat number called “Hot Wings” featured in the movie Rio, much to the delight of the audience, earning lots of cheers. Throughout the night, Dawson kept the spirits high between acts with jokes and additional singing. But when the whole track and field team finally came to the stage, they were able to find a rhythm. They all looked very comfortable holding the mic, and decided to sing “Love” by Keyshia Cole.

Morgan Widmer a student leader on campus attended the event and shared some thoughts on what she thought about Hawk’s Nest Karaoke.

“So during orientation week all we hear about is how much everybody loves karaoke and even the freshmen enjoy it. Even the people that aren’t freshmen come back and do karaoke so being able to have this with everyone and everyone showing up and hanging out with each other shows how much fun it is and that we are all comfortable just being ourselves and having fun and singing,” Widmer said.

The moment the opening beat started to play, the audience erupted in recognition. By the time they reached the first chorus, half the audience was singing along, arms raised and flicking side to side, badly, but exuberantly, harmonizing. The track and field team left no hesitation behind, and stood in full pop star mode by the end of their last verse, to all the students applause.

From that song on, the sign up sheet was quickly full. There were group performances, duets, and impromptu rap battles that left the crowd roaring with laughter. Dawson, known for her spunky personality, even got up and belted and rapped “Faneto,” a widely known rap song that most college students know, and she delivered it with much spirit and solid rapping ability.

The snacks kept disappearing as fast as they were refilled. Cash bar was available for students of age, and mock tails were available for students not of age. The mock tails were disappearing fast as they loved the mango and pineapple mixture that Cindy from The Caf made for students to drink and enjoy.

As 9:30 p.m. rolled around, the Nest was still jam packed. Voices were hoarse, bellies were full, and no one wanted to leave. Some of the women’s softball team capped off the night with “Thru Your Phone” by Cardi B. The crowd was really going at that point.

Dawson felt like it was a good time to come up and join the women for a song. It wasn’t just a karaoke night. It was one of those rare college nights that reminded why some chose Quincy—the community, the fun, and a little cheese. Thanks to Dawson and her never-ending energy, the Hawk’s Nest had never felt as much at home.