The Black Student Board (BSB) hosted a skate night on April 13, the first day of Pan-Af week, a yearly tradition at NC State. Pan-Af, or Pan-Afrikan week, is a celebration of the African diaspora and African Americans, pushing for unity instead of division between Black and African cultures. With good vibes, music, food and some questionable skating techniques, skate night was the perfect start to a week truly embracing culture.
The Talley State Ballroom was transformed into an old-fashioned roller rink. There were concession stand staples, including nachos with the classic artificial cheese and candy, such as M&M’s, Skittles and Starbursts. The room was filled with music played by DJ KDOT, dim purple light and skaters ready to hit the rink.
The “skating rink” was a colorful makeshift floor of blue, green and red puzzle pieces. BSB perfectly mimicked a skating rink and people treated it as such. The ballroom transported skaters to their very own 70s rink.
Skate night was a hit for many. Many came eager to hit the floor rolling, some with borrowed skates provided by the BSB and others bringing their own skates, such as seasoned veterans who laced up their skates with a quickness the beginners and first timers didn’t have.
It wasn’t long until people were gliding across the floor, while some were scared to roll on their own. Some even struggled to get onto the floor, left stumbling and clinging to the outskirts of the skating rink.
People dropped like flies at times, flailing uselessly as they refused to fall, only to fall regardless. Thankfully, there was a barrier to protect people who could not stop on their skates.
DJ KDOT took to queuing iconic sound effects like “Bruh” and “Oh My God” during these instances. Most people got up and continued to skate like nothing happened or continued to fall and stumble, only to eventually rise with the help of skaters around them.
“Do you know how to skate?” was the question of the night.
“I do not know at all, I cannot do skating at all in my life, I think,” said Paulson Antony, an international graduate student in computer engineering.
“Not at all,” said Justin Garrett, a fourth-year studying political science and the BSB President. “It’s better when friends and the Black community are around to help you. There’s a bunch of people who know how to skate, so they taught me and I did a little one-two today.”
DJ KDOT did a phenomenal job setting the mood through the music and mixes he played. Playing popular songs like Drake’s “Nice For What,” kwn’s “back of the club” and iconic line dance songs that brought people to the floor, which veteran skaters were impressively able to do on skates!
For fast-paced songs, people skated like nobody’s business, and with such happiness as the music coursed through them. Some tried and failed to do line dance with skates on. Some people moved with more ease than others. It was mesmerizing to watch them glide across the floor, as if it were as easy as walking. In a way, the control was so beautiful and sensual.
This was a night filled with carefree laughter, good music, good people and attempts at skating and moving with grace across the wooden floors and the colorful makeshift roller rink floor that transformed the Talley State Ballroom entirely. It was a night worthy of starting a week dedicated to community and unity. Garrett described these BSB events throughout the week as a celebration of all students on campus.
“Hosting events, especially Pan-Af Week, is really important because it just gives everybody a representation of Black community on NC state campus and it really highlights us and what we do on this campus.”
