For most of us at Stevens, TechFest is a radical homecoming event in and of itself; students collaborate and reach out to artists to create a night to which students are genuinely looking forward. To the freshmen, it is certainly welcoming, as all are invited to participate. Many of the upperclassmen still think fondly of their first TechFest. And this year, it felt like new all over again, because Stevens took it to the streets.
Never a stranger of deviating from the norm, TechFest: Out Of This World was hosted in River Lot this year, contrary to its usual location at Hayden Lot. This novel setting effortlessly incorporated the luminescent and iconic Manhattan skyline, which only accentuated the star performance by Stevens DJs and the The Chainsmokers –and was, naturally, the quintessential “#Selfie” background.
To gear up for the legendary concert, the TechFest Committee organized an equally memorable daytime event, MasqueRAVE, situated on Palmer Lawn. Despite the closing of the first third of the fall semester (read: exams upon exams), MasqueRAVE saw students pouring out of the library to observe the inescapable samba music penetrating the S.C. Williams walls. Besides the authentic Brazilian melodies serenading, TechFest-goers, carnival games, and tropical snacks were available at the student body’s disposal, simulating the annual celebratory South American holiday of Carnival.
“It is something for the kids to look forward to, I think. Something they actually enjoy going to,” remarked Captain Tom Maggi, a recurring attendee of the day-long celebration.
And for those that ran TechFest, it truly had lasted all day long. While students reluctantly returned to their studies on the temperate Saturday afternoon, folks were already hard at work, setting up the elaborate stage in River Lot for the long-awaited concert at sundown.
Admittedly, it was difficult for one on the Stevens campus to tell when the sun set for the concert, because the glow radiating from the river bank perfectly supplemented the natural light that had left for the day. And within five minutes, the lot was packed. It was clear to see that attendees of TechFest were looking forward to their fellow students – namely: Chris Khalayleh, Michael Kyriacou, Rob McLeod, and Harry Patterson – to DJ, headlining for the world-renowned EDM group, The Chainsmokers.
And they certainly lived up to the hype. There was seldom a dull moment in their set; The Chainsmokers seemed to have been leading a crashing, banging, aerobic exercise with hundreds of attendees – constant jumping, screaming, and perhaps some dancing squeezed in. Who says working out is hard?
One can only wonder how TechFest continues to impress year after year. There is no doubt that TechFest 2014 was, appropriately, Out Of This World.
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