By Jaida Dent
Though finals season is in full swing at CUNY, one college looks to bring some fun back to campus. On May 2, Terminal 5 was filled to the roof with CUNY students as they waited in anticipation for another concert hosted by Hunter College’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG). This year’s headlining act was Bronx rapper, A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.
Often in conversation for the title of “King of New York”, A Boogie’s music raised the current generation of students at CUNY. The rapper found success with his albums, “The Bigger Artist”, “Hoodie SZN”, “Artist 2.0”, and “Me vs. Myself,” all breaking into the Top 10 of Billboard 200, with “Hoodie SZN” holding the number one spot for three weeks in 2019. A Boogie has managed to captivate his audience through his influential sound and relatable lyrics.
This concert follows last year’s event featuring Rico Nasty, which was previously reported by the Vanguard. Sofia Kabbaj, the Evening Affairs Commissioner for Hunter’s USG, found this year’s concert much easier to plan than last year’s because of the established connection with the venue, Terminal 5. The choice to have A Boogie as the featured artist was a no-brainer because of how popular his music is with the city.
“In terms of an artist, I wanted to choose someone that people would enjoy and show up for. Growing up in Queens and knowing that a majority of CUNY students are also from NYC, I thought A Boogie Wit da Hoodie was a perfect choice,” said Kabbaj.
Kabbaj had been planning this event since August, and the turnout was a visual sign of its success. The energy of the venue was electrifying as students cheered for A Boogie the second the doors opened. This year’s concert proved to be a great follow-up to the prior year’s event.
“A Boogie was a natural choice for a CUNY-wide event, and the response proved it. We sold out Terminal 5 in just 48 hours and brought together thousands of students from across the university for an unforgettable night,” said Daniel Cronin, the External Affairs Commissioner for Hunter’s USG.
Aside from being able to hear great music, the concert allowed for socialization outside of the academic buildings. Students were able to hang out with the people they knew and meet new students from across several CUNY campuses.
“I loved it! I saw so many friends, I met new people, and A Boogie’s performance was amazing […] This definitely contributed to my experience as a Hunter student. I got to have fun with other Hunter students and connected through social media, making [new] friends,” said Lynara Richards, a senior at Hunter College.
The concert provided an unforgettable night of music and community for students. Kabbaj has always wanted to plan events that could bring students together, and this concert proved how successful this event can be as a staple moving forward.
“When I ran for this position two years ago, one of the ideas I campaigned on was more wide-scale events. I wanted to plan things that would bring the Hunter Community together. Everyone enjoys music, which is a great way for people to connect with one another,” said Kabbaj.
Above all, the Hunter’s USG showed that meaningful experiences can be had as a CUNY student.
“Many people expect CUNY to be less fun because we are a public/commuter school. That is not true!” said Kabbaj. “Planning events like this reminds current and prospective students that we are just as great at providing the college experience.”