So, I don’t know what kind of events you expect to see on a college campus, or perhaps what events you have already seen on a college campus, but I can almost guarantee that you haven’t seen musical chairs played with Heavy Metal music. Let me tell you, it’s a great experience.

Last night saw the first occurrence of, what will hopefully become the annual, Metal Fest. It was an all-out celebration of Metal music and Metal culture. I think there were a few dozen people there, so it wasn’t the biggest party we could have had (Mardi Gras next semester will blow it out of the water), but it was a blast.

I was honestly surprised at the amount of people that knew a great deal about the history and life of Heavy Metal. I mean, I know that it’s a strong subculture (I myself am a part of it), but it’s not the most vocal or public of groups, so I didn’t realize just how strong it was here on campus. There were people I’d never met who showed up and had conversations about who was better, Judas Priest or Iron Maiden, and talked at great length about the new Brutal Legend game.

Come to think of it, I think the embracing of subcultures is probably my favorite thing about college. I really enjoy the celebration of groups that don’t normally get celebrated. I’m okay with the mainstream, too, don’t get me wrong, but there are so many more rich experiences to be had when you go to things like the Theological Forum, or Metal Fest, or Dramapalooza that just can’t be matched anywhere else.

jswoboda Uncategorized