A group of about 30 to 40 people participated in a flash mob around noon on Thursday in Taylor Mall to urge students to vote at the upcoming election on Nov. 2.
Members of the Arizona Student Association, ASASUD, the Residence Hall Association and some volunteers coordinated a dance to the song “Vote Now”–their own rendition of “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green.
During the pep rally for Saturday’s homecoming football game, the participants of the flash mob suddenly froze in place. Then, music came on and they began to perform a choreographed dance, adding more and more dancers as the song went on.
ASASUD Sen. Daiyaan Colbert, freshman representative, helped organize the flash mob for Get-Out-the-Vote week.
“The idea was to spread the message that people need to vote on Election Day to get their voices heard,” Colbert said.
For most students who attended the pep rally, the flash mob occurred unexpectedly and caught them off guard.
“We tried to keep the number of people we told about our plan to a minimum, that way it would be somewhat of a surprise,” Colbert said. “Students are used to seeing members of organizations out in Taylor Mall sitting at tables, so we wanted to do something that would grab attention and generate excitement.”
The idea of using a flash mob came from videos on YouTube, where Thursday’s flash mob will also be posted. ASA and ASASUD members hope to get as many hits on the video as possible to raise awareness on voting.
“A flash mob is a great way to show students we’re serious about creating voices and voting in next week’s election,” Colbert said.
Not only did the flash mob raise awareness on voting, it also displayed organizations that students can get involved in.
“Participating in the flash mob gave students visibility and recognition for the organizations they’re members of,” Colbert said. “Seeing students take part in these kinds of activities also gets more people interested in becoming a part of on-campus organizations.”
Ariana Johnson, freshman member of the Downtown Dance Team, choreographed the dance for the flash mob using a mix of hip-hop and 70s dance moves.
“Teaching the dance was awesome,” Johnson said. “Everyone loved it because the song was super upbeat and a ton of fun. It was a great way to get people involved and raise awareness on voting.”
Contact the reporter at katie.kunkel@asu.edu
