Every day, students walk into Iberville Dining Hall looking for their next meal. The atmosphere is the same, with students walking in and taking a seat to enjoy their meal with the sound of dishes set to wash, chairs moving in and out, conversations around the hall and the songs of trending music.
To add some spice, the University Programming Council has decided to host a series of events titled “Sound Bites.” The events will feature monthly live artists performing while students dine.
“We have three soundbite events planned for this upcoming semester, all taking place in Iberville featuring talents such as Eems, Shanice Green, and Stacy Kay,” Briannah Stansberry, UPC Fall Team Manager, said. “The point of these events is to provide live performances for the student body while they enjoy their dinner. This Month, the featuring artist is Eems!”
Through these events, UPC aims to provide a new and different environment for students. Sound Bites brings the event to the students at a place and time they would already typically attend.
Artists, speakers and other performers are selected by the UPC through the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities, Stansberry said. When UPC attends the annual convention, they get to meet the talent and consider them when planning events.
This month’s Sound Bite event will be today, Feb. 27, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. and will feature Ukulele pop artist Eems. Eems blends styles from pop and dance to hip-hop and folk together to create mesmerizing music.
Madison White, UPC Lagniappe Manager, is also hosting a Sound Bite event this semester, in which she hopes students will provide feedback to improve the event. “At the University Programming Council, we are always looking to grow our events and give the students what they want, so I look forward to their thoughts and engagement,” she said.
UPC expects the performers to have a decent number of attendees but hopes that students engage with the artists and enjoy the performances, Stansberry said.
The Sound Bites event series allows students a chance to breathe and lose themselves to the music. This is something that Sha’Mya Lorden was inspired by and the reason she wanted to do this event.
“My inspiration for this event was to give the students something new and fun to enjoy on our campus. Allowing the students to appreciate an amazing environment and de-stress from the academic environment for free,” Lorden said.
While the event tailors to students living on campus and regularly visit the dining hall, any NSU student is welcomed to attend the event and enjoy the performance from each artist.