BY LUCAS HUTTERI
Cliff the Condor half-heartedly patrolled the Venue as partygoers, only a handful of who wore togas, remained seated with their heads resting in their hands, and their faces full of boredom and disappointment. Even the DJ appeared as though he had just woken from a nap. Despite the state of the party, one student took it upon himself to be the spark that Conestoga Student Inc.’s (CSI) Toga Party desperately needed.
Dressed in plain jeans and a baby blue hoodie, Andrew Sammut, a first-year electronic systems engineering student, took to the dance floor alone on the fateful evening of Sept. 28. Armed only with his high school dance lessons and his charisma, he began shuffling his feet.
“It only takes one person to start it,” said Sammut. Though it may have been awkward to begin with, someone had to step up. After a few minutes, two other students joined Sammut on the floor. Then another two. The rate at which students began to stand up and dance with him was like a bag of popcorn in a microwave. After 45 straight minutes of dancing and shuffling, he took a short break to rehydrate.
“I want everyone to come out, have a good time, feel safe, and do their thing,” said Sammut. After downing the rest of his drink, Sammut headed back to the dance floor, but this time he wasn’t flying solo. The free-spirited student was now accompanied by a crowd of students, all of them dancing, cheering and laughing. And, there were now enough attendees wearing togas for it to be called a real toga party.
“Of the 215 tickets sold, 60 tickets were sold at the door. The Toga Party has been a long-standing event that has always been a success with the students,” said Cheryl Pokocky, events co-ordinator at CSI.
The music continued to blare and the speakers shook the room. The students were having the time of their lives, with the party being heard through the halls of the college. The night peaked with a crowd of over 50 students partying on the dance floor, largely because of Sammut’s efforts in the early moments of the event.
Unfortunately, Sammut retired from the event early due to early morning classes. He slung his book bag over his shoulder and wiped the sweat from his brow as he exited the Venue. Though Sammut wasn’t there to witness the fruits of his labour, he was the life of the party. He did his best to display his school spirit and he went home as the unsung hero.
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