Holiday night lights up New Main

-- Margaret A. Pribel

New Main at night, where the lights of downtown St. Paul shimmer through the two-floor expanse of glass panes, along with the added holiday lights—the great hall looked magical on the night of Dec. 17. The event was Holiday Night, a free dinner and dance for all students, faculty and staff of Metropolitan State University.

The dinner, provided by Twin Cities Catering, provided succulent and tender chicken and beef entrees. Julia Opoti, president of the Student Senate—resplendent in a batik dress—admitted Metropolitan State University uses Twin Cities Catering for all their events. “When people come from other schools to Metro for an event, they’re impressed that such a small school serves such good food,” added Opoti.

As guests enjoyed their fine fare, Stevie Ray, from Stevie Ray’s Improv, regaled the audience with energetic and finely tuned humor; Ray wound up the laughter with a humorous, detailed rendition of starting a car in Minnesota winter, as an empathetic audience responded. DJ Supadave lured dancers to the floor, spinning a varied mix of music, which included exotic African tunes as well, and even dance lessons by which to enhance those tripping the light fantastic. Small children had a blast on the dance floor too, and were delightful to observe. And Opoti awarded gifts to those participating on the dance floor.

Around 8 p.m., Joto, an Afro-Cuban jazz quintet, and described in The Rake as the new instrumental alter ego of Mint Condition, took over and presented a mix of music that fit perfectly with the backdrop of the downtown lights. And though the crowd thinned out, the music didn’t; Joto continued to put a whole lot of heart into playing old and new tunes. (The quintet can be seen live Tuesday nights at Babalu in the warehouse district of Minneapolis)

When asked about this year’s event turnout, Opoti said, “Last year, we had more of Metro’s non-traditional students attend. This year is a younger crowd. The average age of Metro’s student body has changed from 33 to 31.”

Put this event on your calendar as a must-do event next year. The entertainment was wonderful, the food marvelous, and it was nice to see professors, classmates and their spouses enjoying themselves in a relaxed atmosphere.

University Activities Board, Asian Student Organization, African American Student Organization, International Student Organization, and The Latino’s all sponsored the event.

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