Northeastern students had a chance to put their late-semester stress aside during the annual Springfest week hosted by Northeastern’s Council for University Programs, or CUP. This year’s Springfest was especially notable for its throwback theme, allowing students to escape from their studies while reveling in childhood memories.
Festivities kicked off March 26 with a screening of “High School Musical” in Blackman Auditorium, drawing nearly 100 students to sit back and relax while enjoying the iconic movie.
Following the sentimental trend, CUP hosted a Q&A session March 27 with actress Brenda Song, best known for her role as London Tipton in the Disney Channel Original Series “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.” Song has held a special place in the hearts of many thanks to their childhood memories of watching her on screen.
Comedians Colin Jost and KC Shornima helped students laugh their troubles away March 28 with original stand-up routines. Both known for their work on “Saturday Night Live,” Jost is widely revered as a co-host of “Weekend Update” and Shornima works as a staff writer of the show.
Students flooded Curry Student Center March 29 for the Springfest Carnival, which featured activities that gave everyone a chance to feel like a kid again. The carnival included opportunities to stuff a husky, compete in a Super Smash Brothers tournament, sing karaoke in AfterHours and relax under a parachute on Krentzman Quad.
The following night’s main event was a special concert in AfterHours by Maude Latour, a pop singer-songwriter. Northeastern student Madison Bequer opened for her, backed by a band consisting of several of her friends.
The week culminated April 1 with Springfest’s headline event — a concert held at Matthews Arena. Carly Rae Jepsen, a singer-songwriter best known for her 2012 hit “Call Me Maybe,” started the energetic show, followed by Aminé, a rapper and singer-songwriter who wrote and produced the well-known single “Caroline.”
Students file into Blackman Auditorium March 26 for a screening of “High School Musical.” The showing of a Disney Channel Original Movie generated excitement for Song’s appearance the next night. (Darin Zullo)Northeastern students come in droves to relive childhood memories watching “High School Musical.” Most students watched the iconic film for the first time during elementary school. (Darin Zullo)Song speaks with Rachel Young, a second-year communications major and CUP design coordinator, during an hour-long Q&A March 27. The two bonded over similar experiences as Asian-Americans when Song divulged details about her past. (Darin Zullo)Song closes the Q&A by presenting a raffle winner alongside CUP member Hannah Wodajo, a fourth-year psychology major. The winner received a signed poster from Song. (Darin Zullo)Students wait in anticipation for the comedy show to begin March 28. Shornima and Jost brought a full house to Blackman Auditorium. (Darin Zullo)Students sign up for a raffle hosted by CUP before Shornima and Jost take the stage. Similar to the previous night’s raffle, the winners received a signed poster from headliner Jost. (Darin Zullo)SNL writer Shornima opens for Jost with a relatable routine of her own. Shornima devoted a large section of her routine to her past relationships. (Darin Zullo)Jost performs his standup routine. The routine was specifically tailored to Northeastern students and began with a list of “fun facts” about the school, such as the now infamous “Explosion 2” incident and the double victory at both Beanpots. (Darin Zullo)A CUP member calls out announcements to students at the carnival March 29 . The Curry Student Center was packed with students looking to partake in the afternoon’s festivities. (Darin Zullo)Students participate in the “stuff a husky” event in Curry Ballroom. This was one of many activities scattered around the Curry Student Center as part of the Springfest carnival. (Darin Zullo)A group of students sing karaoke to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” Students in AfterHours made requests to sing a song of their choice on stage. (Darin Zullo)Springfest carnival attendees hang out under a parachute on Krentzman Quad. For many students, this activity evoked memories of being in elementary school gym class. (Darin Zullo)Bequer opens for Latour during a March 30 concert. Bequer credited much of her lyrical development to a songwriting class she took at Northeastern. (Darin Zullo)Bequer performs her single “Smoke Alarm” backed by her band consisting of several friends. She released the single on Spotify in January. (Darin Zullo)Latour performs in AfterHours for a captivated student audience. Latour expressed surprise at her audience’s devotion several times during the concert, exclaiming “I can’t believe you guys know all the words!” (Darin Zullo)Latour keeps the energy high during the middle of her set. Many of Latour’s songs drew on personal experiences from her college years. (Darin Zullo)DJ Snax mixes and plays music as students enter Matthews Arena April 1. Students were given the choice of standing floor tickets, which quickly sold out, or seated bowl and balcony tickets. (Jessica Xing)Jepsen performs for the crowd along with her band. The performance included many of her most popular hits such as “Call Me Maybe” and “I Really Like You.” (Jessica Xing)Students wait for Aminé to come on stage between performances. Hundreds of students gathered to sing and dance along with the two famous artists. (Jessica Xing)Aminé performs and interacts with his DJ. Aminé’s high-energy movements sparked an overwhelming excitement amongst students in the crowd. (Jessica Xing)Students watch and take photos of Aminé during his performance. Many members of the crowd were entertained by the slides on the screen that the artist had prepared, including one that joked about students being at the concert when they know they have homework. (Jessica Xing)
