Working nine to five, Taylor University students put together the 40th Airband on April 20, with two showings at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively. Family and friends gathered as the lights went down and fog rolled in.
Senior Trent Repass and junior Sam Spiegel were the masters of ceremonies, keeping the audience entertained between acts with the 2024 theme, “Movie Premiere.”
The night was filled with performances referencing popular movies such as “Space Jam,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Up,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Tangled,” “Clue” and “Rocky.”
Music blasted through the speakers, rumbling the seats and immersing the audience in the show. Between performances, commercials included advertisements for upcoming events as well as skits where faculty, professors and students joined in on the fun.
The 6 p.m. show's winners were “Monsters Inc,” performed by Second East Olson and Third West Wengatz. “Ghostbusters,” performed by First West Olson and Second West Wengatz, took second, with Third Center Olson and Third East Wengatz’s “Rocky” following behind in third.
If the first show’s winners were monsters, the following victors were murderers. “Clue,” performed by Fourth Berg, Second English and Penthouse, closed the case and took first place at the 9 p.m. showing. “Rocky” placed second, with “Monsters Inc.” taking third.
Junior Emma Benno played a cop in “Clue.” She made time in her schedule for numerous rehearsals, saying that participating in Airband was worth the big time commitment.
“It's my favorite event of the whole year,” Benno said. “I just love it. I love dancing. I love singing and getting to know new people. You get to know a lot of people when you join an Airband.”
In between the two acts, different groups put on a half-time show.
During the first showing of the night, TU Poms performed “Mean Girls,” dancing in pink costumes to a blend of movie quotes and music. For the second showing, Samuel Morris Hall’s third floor, The Brotherhood, performed their half-time show “Do you believe in magic?” using songs centered around water.
The dancers put their energy into each show, keeping their smiles bright as they performed their routines multiple times in a row. The bands, equipped with cardboard instruments, rocked out on makeshift guitars, trumpets, triangles and keyboards.
“I like seeing the passion that the choreographers have for it, and just seeing everyone get into it,” Gary Richardson, a graduate assistant for the Taylor Student Organization (TSO), said. “You can tell that people just really love this event.”
Before the second act started, senior Emily Johnson, Inter-Class Council (ICC) president, brought all the Airband captains onto the stage to celebrate their hard work. Members of ICC handed them roses to recognize their dedication.
ICC put in weeks of preparation, working behind the scenes to help everything flow together smoothly. Senior Austin Cochrane, an ICC member, said this year they did a good job of implementing teams to cover the different aspects of the show. They worked on advertising for the show, decorating, auditions and more.
Freshman Gabriella Yetooma, another ICC member, said she enjoyed working behind the scenes and seeing the audition process. Watching the auditions was like seeing a sneak peek at the real show, she added.
“It's really a great opportunity just to see everybody thrive in their own way and have a good time with each other because it's really about just showing the love of Taylor University in creative form, so I think it's really cool,” Yetooma said.
Junior Sarah Kelley experienced Taylor’s Airband for the first time at the 9 p.m. showing. She said she had been too busy on past weekends to attend and was excited to see it for the first time.
Kelley added that she struggled to pick a favorite performance because so many of her friends were scattered throughout the show. She enjoyed seeing her friends on stage, witnessing their hard work, and getting to cheer them on.
“I was excited beforehand, and I'm excited now, and I was excited during it,” Kelley said. “I'm also feeling very proud. I think it's really exciting to watch live performances, especially when there's people that you know and care about who are performing.”
