Saturday, around 300 students joined the traditional toga party at Smuget student bar.

By ELMIS SIERRA (text & photo)

The toga party has become a traditional celebration within the students of Molde University College, whom year after year put a certain amount of effort on designing their own toga costume, after several attempts of YouTube tutorials to tighten white sheets around their bodies. According to the Åpningsuka committee, around 300 students gathered this year at Smuget, fully committed to having a good time in one of the most popular themed parties on Molde campus.

Some of the students started to arrive at 22:00 hours, nonetheless, and as it usual in Norway, the party really kicked-off after 22:30 hours, and Michael Tzankov Rindal, who goes under the name Michael Kov, leveled up the volume of the music to invite people to the dance floor.

By answering a few questions, Michael shared his passion for music and entertainment, letting me know that even if working as a DJ is more a hobby than a profession, the possibility of having a good time while making some mixes, is a valuable thing that he enjoys whenever he gets an opportunity to play at parties.

“I started getting into electronic music when he was 14 years old and have since admired the industry. I have been warming up for russeartists such as TIX, Hilnigger, Solguden og Mannen, Soppgirobygget and Meland x Hauken”.

In terms of music styles, what he likes to play at different venues depends on the crowd, however, he loves to play both old and new music, mashups, and remixes, elements that were present at the toga party when he mixed old hits from the nineties with new releases from this summer.

In terms of logistics and organization, the Åpningsuka committee was quite efficient in distributing the space inside of the venue, having a smart protocol for buying beers at the bar. This time, both doors from the bar were open which allowed a fluid transition for buying a beer (at the usual price of NOK 50 per 500 ml glass) and go back to the dance floor, avoiding the place to be overcrowded.

On the other hand, and despite the official numbers, the attendance looked a bit discrete in comparison with previous years. Susana Gopar, a second-year master student from logistics, consider that designing a costume require time and effort that not all the students are willing to spend on it.