By Bryson Carter

Recently, GC students danced the night away at the Winter Rose. It was hosted on Monday, March 2, by Greensboro College Student Activities at the Proximity Hotel. Students from all across campus came decked out in their nicest dresses and suits hoping to have the night of their lives, and the celebrations were nothing short of amazing.

“My favorite part is getting to spend time with and hang out with lots of different people who may not be together on a regular basis,” explained student body President Sloanne Peterson. She enjoys getting to see the diversity of Greensboro College all on one dance floor. “It is very fun and inclusive,” Peterson described, “even if you are not friends with someone, odds are you end up dancing to the same great songs and having a good time.”

Reverend Dr. Robert Brewer feels the same way. He likes being able to just spend time with the Pride and truly bond with one another. “Being able to enjoy the night and each other’s company was what I enjoyed the most,” Brewer said. “It was fun and relaxed and everyone was having a great time.”

While of course there were different groups hanging out at different tables, so many people were mingling and talking with anyone they could find. There definitely were some new friendships made.

In addition to the friends and fun, the Proximity staff also had an incredible layout of hors d’oeuvres, desserts and refreshments available to the students. There were sliders, cookies, brownies, sweet tea and so much more.

“The best food there was for sure the spinach wraps,” said freshman JJ Joof.

“The chicken skewers were great,” added junior Bethany McQuinn.

The sandwich trays were constantly getting restocked and they had plenty of extra sweet tea on hand. It is safe to say the students were enjoying everything the staff was cooking up.

After eating, many students got up out of their seats and headed to the dance floor. PJ – the DJ from Triad DJ and Events – pumped up the bass and was playing songs the students could really jam to.

“The DJ was amazing,” says Junior Jalen Troublefield. “He read the room and brought the right vibes to the Winter Rose.” He played many popular songs, from the Cupid Shuffle to the Cha-Cha Slide.”

“He kept people on their feet as much as possible,” added Thomas Shotwell, a sophomore. “He was very receptive to song requests too.”

“I loved watching Dr. Brewer tear it up on the dance floor,” said junior Will Hoard.

It was a rare sight to see someone sitting at a table that night – unless, of course, they were resting after the Wobble.

Even getting to and from the event was a blast. Dr. Warche Downing drove a shuttle bus that took students to and from the event. Downing was getting everyone hyped and excited before the Rose.

“He provided plenty of chatter on the way,” said sophomore Jordan Leggett. “We were super grateful for the ride, especially considering how late it was.”

Leggett added that while everyone was tired, the ride back still had a positive calm energy to it.

“It was super chill,” she said. “We ended up chatting about the party, our classwork for the next day and various stories while drinking our sodas.”

The calm ride back was a nice reflection on the exciting events of the evening.

However, one of the biggest highlights was watching faculty dancing together. The teachers of the Ballroom class, Reverend Dr. Robert Brewer and Ashley Hyers, were especially showing off their skills.

“I really enjoyed watching them do the dances that they had been teaching us in class,” said Hoard. They danced multiple times throughout the night doing the cha-cha and even swing dancing. Every time, almost all eyes seemed to fall on them.

For Hyers, that was one of the best parts of the night.

“I really loved dancing with the students and Dr. Brewer and watching the students dance,” she explained. “Seeing everybody dressed up and the camaraderie outside of what we do in class is really fun.”

Hyers summarized the entire night with one word, “Family.” She and Brewer agree that they have been to the Winter Rose quite a few times, and still this has been the best one yet. “We have had a pretty rough year,” she added, “so it was wonderful to just have a fun night and see everybody let loose and just have a party.”