During the annual free Flapjack Fest at Nazareth Dining Hall from 8 p.m. to midnight on Monday, Dec. 8, students got dinner and an unexpected show.

Students from associate communications arts professor Dr. Wotanis’ and associate English professor Dr. McMillan’s YouTube Writing & Production class congregated in between the salad bar and wrap station to engage in a dance flash mob around 9 p.m. Dancers gathered in three rows, and both instructors joined in the minute-long dance that was set to Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk.

Students eating pancakes, tater tots, donuts, eggs, hot chocolate, sausage and beverages from the soda fountain had a mid-meal surprise.

“I heard about it [Flapjack Fest] and wanted free food,” said first year architecture student Antonio Cicco. “There was a big commotion; everything happened and people videotaped the dance. It was fun to watch.”

Dr. McMillan came up with the idea for a dance flash mob while grading sophomore digital media major Steph Leone’s proposal for an original YouTube channel on dance and choreography.
“Dance is Steph’s passion, and I thought we should take advantage of that passion,” said McMillan. “Steph did a lot of planning, and the rest of us did a little. It was fast, fun and good before finals.”

Dance mob participant Elise Cargan, a senior English major enrolled in the YouTube class, enjoyed the dance flash mob.

“We came up with the idea as a good way to end the semester,” said Cargan. “We decided on Uptown Funk because it’s upbeat, fun and everybody knows it.”

In addition to “Uptown Funk,” Marywood’s acapella group, the Nomadic Chromatics, performed in front of the fireplace in the dining area. The group sang for a short time and the final bout of singing was met with enthusiastic applause.

“Nomadic Chromatics is a student-run a cappella group founded two years ago,” said senior music therapy major Ashley Arnold, a member of the group. The group is open to all Marywood students, but members do have to audition.

“We were approached and asked to sing at Flapjack Fest,” said Arnold. “It’s just really awesome to get a group of students to make music.”

Contact the writer: [email protected]