Oakland University has put a twist on the typical party scene.

The Student Program Board (SPB) hosted its first Silent Disco, where music was played through headphones instead of speakers, making the dance silent to outside viewers.

When students first arrived, they were given headphones, which lit different colors depending on which of the three stations the wearer was listening to. There was a variety of free items also available to students, including glow sticks and Bluetooth headphones. 

Chris Russell, SPB president, said there was a fantastic turnout, especially since it was the Silent Disco’s first year.

“Throughout the night, with people coming and going, we had over 500 people come to the event,” he said. “Based on those numbers, it’s definitely something we are very proud to have put out there.”

Russell said the Silent Disco has been in the works for a few years, but during SPB’s retreat this year, they decided to put it onto the schedule.

Included in the planning was WXOU — OU’s student-run radio station — who helped out with the event, provided DJs and got more students involved. Russell said he was very appreciative of the collaborations between SPB and WXOU, since it could have been far tougher than it was.

“It’s one thing to plan something by yourself, but the more chefs you add to the kitchen, it gets a little bit tougher to cook,” he said.

Sophomore Jadah Fletcher attended the silent disco and said it was a great event with a lot of creativity behind it. 

“The energy of the people around was really fun,” she said. “Watching other people have fun makes you want to have fun.”

Fletcher, who previously attended a silent disco at Cedar Point, said she was curious as to what one would look like on a college campus. She saw advertisements around campus, which piqued her interest, and then “saw that they were giving away free stuff, which is always a deciding factor to go somewhere.”

Fletcher came early and didn’t stay for long, but would come to another Silent Disco in the future with a group of friends. She said if she could change one thing, she would have more variety in the music that was played, specifically more rock or alternative music.

Russell said it was a nice event to contribute to the overall arc of homecoming week.

“It was a really cool event to reach out to a different group of students,” he said. “There’s always something for everyone to do on campus.”