You Just Had to be There

Article By Caydan Veltman, University Union Editorial Board Staff Writer | Photo by Braden Kletz

Since 1962 University Union has entertained Syracuse students with wild performances, internationally known artists and more - we got the latest in a long tradition of shows this past weekend. On the weekend of September 21st, University Union gave us a brand new experience with the first-ever Jamboree and another amazing Juice Jam lineup. On Saturday September 21st students filled the quad and enjoyed free food, games, and more! They followed up an amazing Saturday evening with Juice Jam on Sunday night, which brought us music from artists Smino, Maisie Peters and Quavo. Couldn’t make it? Miss it already? Allow us to catch you up on yet another unforgettable weekend from UU. 

We kicked off Juice Jam weekend Saturday afternoon at 4:30 pm. With weather in the mid-to-high seventies and sunny, what more could someone want to enjoy activities on the quad? This year Skytop was under construction, so the UU team had to adapt quickly. They knew that they had to find some way to still bring the outdoor Juice Jam fun. And just like that…Jamboree was born.

“When we found out Juice Jam was going to be in the dome I knew we had to find a way to bring the typical fun Juice Jam aspects to the event.” - Kate McKenna (Collab Director) 

Jamboree offered a range of activities. Inflatables, to tie-dye, to student Djs, and more, the goal was to give SU/SUNY ESF students an unforgettable experience for FREE to make their weekend that much more memorable. Everyone within University Union showed up to help keep the event running smoothly for three hours.  Of course we couldn’t restrict all this fun to just SU students, so this year, all of Juice Jam weekend was open to the public. Parents and children came to campus with smiles glowing as they climbed the treehouse ladder and ran through the bodybuilder race. It’s moments like these that University Union strives to create. 

“For Jamboree, Kate and Hannah sent a moodboard as well. The general vibe was fall and camping. [Goldie] did a fantastic job capturing what they were looking for.” - Emma Barbosa (Design Director) 

Coming into Sunday, the energy was high. After months of hard work, our amazing Concerts Board (led by Camille Rowlands-Rees and Ryan Lima) brought three uniquely talented artists to Syracuse’s campus. An hour before Juice Jam started, students were already filing in to get as close to the stage as possible. A purple, blue, and yellow University Union logo lit up the Dome on the Jumbotron and the lights around the stage dimmed to create an electrifying environment for attendees. 

When the stage lit up, Smino ran out playing his song “MIC CHECK” that led into “KLINK”. He came dressed to impress, wearing a black jersey with the number thirteen printed on the front and black jean shorts with a long chain hanging from his right pocket. The crowd roared as he danced his heart out, to a setlist packed with bangers from “Wild Irish Roses” to “Z4L.” An experience that surely won’t be forgotten.

Out of the darkness between sets, pink lights shined down on the stage to introduce our next artist: Maisie Peters. As she waved at the crowd with a big smile on her face, one of her hit songs, “You’re Just A Boy (And I’m Kinda The Man),” started to play. Her set was invigorating. She sang “Body Better,”  “Blonde,” and  “I’m Trying (Not Friends),” bringing each song to life with her fun, infectious energy. The English singer-songwriter made sure to give Syracuse a show. Even though she is only twenty-four years old, she performed like she’s been playing sold-out shows for decades. Her call-and-response bits with the crowd made the concert that much more personal to everyone there. You could feel the strength of her artist-to-fan connection when each question she asked was immediately met with a barrage of screams. 

To close it all off was our headliner: one-third of Migos and an Atlanta-native, Quavo. Quavo came onto the stage, moving straight into his song “Fly.” The crowd, already energized from the last two sets, exploded into a chorus of cheers and screams when he entered. The bass practically shook the Dome floor as Quavo led fans through iconic songs like “Bad and Boujee,” “Stir Fry,” and “Pure Water.” Even with the last minute appearance, Quavo still gave Syracuse a show to remember. 

Running Juice Jam is no easy feat. The amazing Juice Jam experience this year could not have been possible without the work of our Concerts Board. Ryan Lima and Camille Rowlands-Ree led the charge for the incredible  team and worked tirelessly with the other UU Directors. Juice Jam has many moving parts that go unnoticed behind the scenes, so it’s important that we recognize the people who work to create such a unique experience.

“Bringing joy to the student body through the concerts we hold is an incredible privilege that's unlike any other experience I've had!” - Ryan Lima (Concerts Director) 

It is easy to blame the source of an unexpected event when we are frustrated with a sudden change in plans, and University Union recognizes the last minute switches in the Juice Jam lineup were not what many had anticipated. It is important to realize that plans must change sometimes and whether it was what we wanted or not, it is necessary to adapt and continue to find the next best solution. As UU president Naimah Rahman put it, “We are full time students while also working what feels like a full time job with UU.” In this organization, we love what we do and continue to make the most out of any situation in order to bring a great experience to campus. 

“Events are unpredictable, and being able to adjust quickly to last-minute changes or challenges has been crucial. - Staying flexible and trusting our own team has helped me keep things running smoothly and stay calm under pressure.” - Enoca Shin (VP)

Thank you again University Union. The debut of Jamboree and another successful Juice Jam gave Syracuse University a sneak peak of a great year of entertainment to come. Jamboree came with a variety of activities that all came for free! From tie-dye shirts to eating caramelized popcorn and drinking a Rockstar while listening to music from our Student DJs. It had it all. Juice Jam finished off the weekend strong with performances from Smino, Maisie Peters and Quavo. It was eccentric, electric and exhilarating. This year we got something special: something old; something new.  

Photo credit (In order of appearance): Braden Kletz, Goldie Singer, Thomas Williams,  Troy Connor

Edited by: Olivia Friess

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