Cypress Theatre was teeming with competition on Wednesday night (Jan. 31) as the Student Center Programs Council (SCPC) launched their first committee event of the Spring 2024 semester, “What’s That Song?”
SCPC, one of the farthest-reaching student organizations on campus, is student-led and operates to enhance the student experience through distinct events and opportunities for connection. From last semester’s PowerPoint night, Homecoming Carnival and Six Flags Day, committees within the organization spearhead themed events. To kick the semester off, the Concerts committee debuted with “What’s That Song?” an interactive trivia competition where students competed against other teams to test their knowledge of current and past music.
With an open attendance policy and a packed crowd extending out of the theater and into the side entrance of the John Lewis Student Center, a new group of students would rotate in and out of the theater throughout eight rounds, with each round taking on a new category voted on by the players. The large crowd and central location also caught the attention of onlookers previously unaware of the event, who were then able to join. From Taylor Swift to Disney Channel movies to modern classics, students participated by guessing the song name and artist or the successive lyrics of a music clip.
Each question was worth two points, allowing SCPC moderators to offer partial credit for either getting part of the answer correct or not answering in time.
“My favorite part about this event has been watching the students singing as they try to guess,” said Jayson Feng, second-year BA and chair of the comedy committee and emcee of the event. Feng continued, speaking on the importance he felt of participant engagement and feedback played in the event. “It means they’re invested, but even more, it means they’re having fun,” Feng said.
Alongside the main competition were a host of other opportunities. If students did not want to compete alongside other teams, they had the option to test their music knowledge with an interactive puzzling table to guess the name of a specific song or artist through emojis. A raffle was put in place where students could put their names in to potentially win tickets to one of SCPC’s most popular annual events, GT Night at the Aquarium. The event served attendees drinks and popcorn throughout the night.
Part of the appeal of SCPC events is that they are accessible to all students. Although the main event was advertised as a competitive opportunity, those less well-versed in music still found the event enjoyable. Students of all backgrounds and interests were able to use the event as an excuse to come out, have a good time and interact with other students, providing them with a break from school work and the daily hustle and bustle of campus life.
“It doesn’t really matter whether or not you know anything about any artist,” said Eleanor Tracy, first-year EE, who attended the event with a friend after happening to walk past it. “It’s more the competitive experience to me and being a really great way to destress in the middle of the week,” Tracy said.
SCPC’s goal is to provide opportunities for students to connect outside of the academic context and become more involved on campus. With a solid beginning to the semester, SCPC begins yet another semester of diverse activities and community-building initiatives. Their next event, “Night at the Aquarium,” will be happening this Friday, 6–11 p.m. Students can acquire transportation and tickets at a discounted rate.
Those interested in joining SCPC or learning more about future events to attend on campus for students can visit their Instagram account @gtspc or
website at studentcenter.gatech.edu/scpc.