On Friday, Sept. 15, all five of Wheaton’s a cappella groups gathered underneath the brick arch next to Everett Heights – often referred to as Slype – to welcome their newest members with brief performances.
While performing at Slype is a yearly tradition for every a cappella group on campus, this year was different because for the first time, all the groups performed together on the same night. The Blend alum Ian Curran ’17 said, “This year, all the groups shared one Slype night, rather than splitting it up across a couple [of] nights. This was rather unusual, but overall I think it helped to better connect the groups and draw out a larger crowd, since everyone got to see their favorite groups [perform] right in a row.”
This year’s Slype night drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. About watching Slype as an alum, Curran commented, “Slype night has been such an important event to me for so many years. At first, it was a bit melancholic to think that I was no longer a part of the celebration and the experience, but then I realized that simply supporting the groups and their new members is the experience.” Curran added, “Watching the future unfold before me revitalized my passion for the group and the a cappella experience as a whole.”
This year’s Slype night serves as an indication that the a cappella groups at Wheaton continue to grow as a whole, as well as grow closer together. To sum up, Curran said, “I was very proud of my own group, The Blend, for successfully transitioning into a new era, and being able to see all the other groups do the same.”