The general consensus from the participants in Friday’s Harlem Shake event on the Quad is that the mania surrounding the viral dance has subsided.
“It wasn’t as many people as the first time we tried to do it, but of course that’s expected,” Alexandria Cochran, a dancer in the mob, said. “But it’s a major movement, and I just wanted to be a part of it.”
This was no surprise for organizer Nojan Radfar, whose last attempt to organize a Harlem Shake filming was cut short by UAPD three weeks ago.
“I was a little let down by the crowd,” Radfar said. “Last time was four times the amount, easily. There’s only so much I could do. The trend had already passed.”
Maxwell Taylor, a friend of Radfar’s who helped him advertise the event, expressed bittersweet feelings after the crowd dispersed on Friday.
“It’s not what I expected, but it still was a pretty good job,” Taylor said. “For the second time around, since the fad has really passed, but since it was shut down last time, we really felt the need to go in and do it again.”
Considering what happened last time, it was difficult to organize a second event that would live up to the hype of the last, Radfar said.
“Last time it pretty much got shut down, simple as that,” Radfar said. “I didn’t have a grounds use permit, so UAPD and the school found it reasonable to shut down. So, that’s fine. I mean they have to do what they have to do.”
Jamie Howard, another friend of Radfar’s who helped with the event, said they did not anticipate the first one to get shut down.
“I think we took a good stand on how we approached the situation and how we approached administration,” Howard said.
Radfar hasn’t necessarily been hurting since being shutdown though. In fact, SGA President Matt Calderone gave him a $250 leadership scholarship for organizing the event.
“As soon as the incident happened, he texted me and was like, ‘Hey man, if there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know,’” Radfar said. “The guy was a lifesaver. He helped me out.”
The good tidings don’t stop there either. Radfar said his leadership skills have been so well-received that he’s taken a few offers to lead Harlem Shakes at other schools.
“At Shelton, I think it was a dean or something, came up to me and asked me to organize one at their school,” Radfar said.
And none of this would have happened at all if not for a friend of his and a few instigators from Texas, Radfar said.
“The idea originated from a friend in my dormitory. He actually made us do a smaller one,” Radfar explained. “And from there, someone saw my video at University of Texas and pretty much called me out and said, ‘University of Texas’ Harlem Shake video is better than yours,’ and from there I got the inspiration to do one on a much bigger scale. It kind of exploded from there.”
