On Friday Oct. 3, Geneseo hosted the Rock(ing) the Vote Concert, an event specifically designed to encourage students to register to vote by luring them in with attractive advertisements and free refreshments and entertainment.
The event was scheduled to be held on the college green, but due to the chilly and rainy weather, it was held inside the Holcomb Auditorium.
The auditorium was crowded with numerous tables for clubs and organizations that gave out voter registration and absentee ballot forms. Some of the groups present were Invisible Children, Geneseo Democrats, Geneseo Republicans, the Pride Alliance, and several Greek organizations.
Speaking on behalf of Invisible Children, freshman Nick LaGrassa said, "We were there to encourage voter turnout as well as to increase awareness in displacement. People need to realize the power they hold with their vote within their nation and the world."
As for the provided entertainment, it undeniably captured the attention of all students who attended. A few of the noteworthy performances included the Geneseo Step Team and Geneseo Bhangra, two of the university's student dance organizations. Both groups demonstrated Geneseo's widely talented and culturally diverse student body with their performance skills.
Numerous musical performances took place throughout the night as well. One of the most well-known bands that played was the The Love Handles, who entertained the audience with a mixture of their own original songs and a handful of covers, including an audience favorite: "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers.
At 8 p.m., the a cappella portion of the evening commenced. First up, co-ed group Exit 8 covered many well-known pop songs, opening the show with a powerful rendition of Rihanna's current hit "Disturbia." They closed the show with their version of Pink's single, "Who Knew?"
The next a cappella group was all-female Hips N' Harmony. The ladies took the stage clad in jeans and black tops. Senior Norma Butikofer and Junior Leora Bernstein both showed off their vocal skills on their solos during Regina Spektor's "Hotel Song" and K.T. Tunstall's "Suddenly I See."
The third and final group to perform were the all-male singers of the Southside Boys. They sang a rendition of the old-fashioned "Good Ol' A Cappella" and sophomore soloist Daniel Hart's performance of Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" was one of the most memorable songs of the night.
What set the Southside Boys apart from the other groups was their undeniably talented beat-boxer, senior John Finn. Sporting a blazer and '80s style sunglasses, Finn successfully supported all of the numbers, while simultaneously providing a unique sense of funk to each song.
The Rock(ing) the Vote concert provided a great source of Friday night entertainment and that successfully drew students to register to vote and participate in American politics.