As Florida State’s Homecoming approached, whispers fled the campus as Hurricane Ian planned to make its guest appearance. With events ranging from the Homecoming Parade to Alumnight, FSU students had more than high expectations for the week of Sept. 26. Unfortunately, classes were canceled and events were postponed, leaving Monday to be the only day for school and homecoming events to be left untouched.
One of the untouched events was the Black Student Union’s rendition of the MTV hit show Wild ‘n Out, which has become a tradition to hold, at this point, for this organization. Being able to attend last year’s event, it came as no surprise that this year the line extended far past the entrance to the Moore Auditorium, just as it did last year in the Askew Student Life Center. Having to skip the line myself to get in, remorse was the last thing I felt as I got through the doors. Once seated, all audience members could do, if not engaged in conversation, was observe the decorated red and black stage or the BSU members and Wild ‘n Out participants running around finalizing everything before the show. This period of adjustment, however, was everything but boring, as the crowd buzzed like bees, leaving no room for a dull moment!
This energy carried into the show, as the hosts/team captains of the Red and Black squad introduced themselves, their team and the well-anticipated Wild ‘n Out girls. This was followed by a series of games that are played on the actual show, which depend on the audience’s reaction to winning. These included Hood Jeopardy, Let me Holla, Pick up and Kill it and the Wild Style. With the jokes ranging from bodily functions to the Jackson Five, both teams fought tooth and nail but with some jokes blatantly flatlining, disturbing the audience, and/or causing them to laugh, it was slowly becoming apparent which team was taking the lead.
Despite team tensions, peace was restored with an intermission where most of the audience could be found on their feet. Members of various Divine Nine organizations joined one another on the stage as they strolled and others danced around them. This same engagement was also seen in the crowd as non-affiliated audience members danced together from the “Miami Slide” by DJ Screach to “Before I Let Go” by Frankie Beverly and Maze.
This harmony, however, was short-lived as the 20-minute intermission expired, and the Red and Black teams resumed their competition. The games at this point had made a complete turnaround, especially during Pick Up and Kill It and the Wild Style. Certain members, especially those of the red squad, were once booed at and were now shocking the audience. It could be seen through the audience’s outward reactions and their live tweets (#FSUWILDN22). This last-minute turnaround, however, was not enough to save the Red Squad, as the audience had already made up their mind…
Winning by a landslide, the audience roared in applause for the Black Squad when it came time to pick the winner. Whether the Red Squad foresaw their loss is unknown to me. All I can tell those who were not in attendance is that the energy from both teams never dampened. From the cringe to the unfunny to the downright hilarious, all participants made the most of this event and their time onstage. I hope to see this same turnout next year, and maybe this time, no hurricane…
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