By Hannah Haney | Echo
Nostalgia Night is always full of surprises. Last year saw several references from the '80s, with neon, flat-brimmed hats, boomboxes and workout clothes. This year, Nostalgia Night takes a different approach: Disneyland-as it was more than three decades ago.
"We're calling it 'Upland'," said senior Chelsea Williams, president of the Student Activities Council (SAC). "All we're doing is kind of taking Disney from the '70s era and that magical kind of world and theatrical aspect and incorporating that to be about Taylor and Upland."
The goal of the evening is to take icons from the Upland and Taylor community and blend them with activities similar to what you might find at an amusement park.
"We are kind of in the middle of nowhere and I think that's part of the fun or funniness of the theme," said Taylor Smythe, the graduate student in charge of SAC. But Taylor wouldn't be Taylor without Polar Pops, Starbucks or Ivanhoes.
Smythe got the idea for the theme after going to Disney World one summer."I like retro things, so I really like the whole idea of Disney as it was in the '70s and very nostalgic feel, which obviously fits very well for Nostalgia Night," Smythe said.
At the end of fall 2013, Smythe and Williams presented the theme idea to the SAC Cabinet, where it was very well received. After discussing how to bring "Upland" to life, SAC began preparing on Feb. 8.
"It's quite extraordinary because it's got so much going into it decoration-wise and planning-wise," Williams said. "You'll definitely see the theme throughout the night."
Both Williams and Smythe are excited to see how students react to the visualization of the theme."We hope everyone is excited about it and that they will be surprised and hopefully just see new things that they have never seen at a show like this. We want them to have a great experience at the show," Smythe said.
Nostalgia Night auditions are Feb. 18 and 19 from 6 to 11 p.m. in Rediger. Sign-ups are available at the top of the DC and in the Union. Nostalgia Night is Friday, Feb. 28.Thumbnail graphic by Bethany Wong.
