Morgan Hunter, Contributing Writer
The results are in: the boogie was back on campus and a bit more metal this year. Another semester means another opportunity for our campus community to attend an outdoor concert put on by the one and only Wooster Activities Crew (WAC). With fun and entertainment for every type of person, Party on the Green 2022 was most certainly the biggest party of the season. For anyone who may want the down-low on this high-profile event, here’s what you need to know.
Festivities kicked off last Saturday on the Residential Quad at 6 p.m., although many people arrived early in anticipation. Participants could find many booths and stations that had a selection of carnival-esque food, the biggest hits being pretzels and snow cones. WAC members could be found at stations with all sorts of prizes to help folks get into the concert spirit. With a long line well into the night, the henna station proved to be a crowd favorite. For anyone who wanted more physical fun out of their Party on the Green experience, there were plenty of inflatables to enjoy, manned by dedicated WAC members and volunteers alike.
As the music started around 7 p.m., attendees flocked to the stage to see the highly-anticipated student opener: Tonal Whiplash. The band is a College of Wooster staple, made up of guitarist and vocalist Shane Byrne ’23 and drummer Artemis Swanson ’23. The two are known for both their innovative covers of alternative and rock songs and their intense and spirited originals that can be felt in the soul. One fan, Peter Barker ’23, described this act as the most fun they have had at a music event. “I especially liked the tie-ins that are specific to Wooster,” they explained. “Those especially made it feel special.”
The second act was Cleveland rapper Kipp Stone. His lyrics were well received and hard hitting, a pleasant surprise for those disappointed by the rapper who came last year. He performed his hits alongside his DJ, who was making his performance debut and even surprised the audience with a live freestyle rap. Towards the end of his set, Stone shared that Wooster was “probably [his] favorite place to perform” before introducing a new song that will be released in the near future.
Finally, it was time for the main event: the headlining band Pom Pom Squad. The band, started by lead vocalist and guitarist Mia Berrin, was highly anticipated, especially due to their unique combination of intense sound and passionate lyrics. Their wide variety of influences and dedication to being the representation they hoped to see in the music industry made them a perfect fit for Wooster’s community.
As the sun sets on another successful WAC event, many recount that it is disappointing that more students didn’t make the effort to come out and enjoy the festivities. One student in attendance, Ben Read ’23, mentioned that “The only thing is there’s not enough people, that’s the only issue.”
The members of WAC work tirelessly leading up to and throughout the day of events such as these, yet many are unphased by these numbers. “In terms of turn-out, it was about what I expected it to be,” WAC member Willow Thomas ’25 explained.
“I’d approximate attendance was around six hundred plus students,” commented Sarah Toby, assistant director of student engagement and advisor of WAC. “This was probably one of our best turnouts in attendance since pre-pandemic.”
While it’s very unfortunate that so many Wooster students missed out on an event as memorable and successful as Party on the Green, never fear! It is only more of a reason to keep an eye out for whatever excitement WAC is planning next.
The Wooster Voice 