Feature photo by Kerstie Wolaver
Story by Kerstie Wolaver
Country music blared from a DJ booth located atop a flatbed trailer. MTSU students kicked, stomped and shook their way across the floor of the Tennessee Livestock Center. At the Dairy Science Club’s second annual Line Dancing Night on Thursday, everyone’s inner boot-scooter was unleashed.
Kicking off at 6 p.m., students piled onto the TLC’s small animal floor sporting blue jeans, boots and cowboy hats. Weary dancers refreshed themselves between songs with snacks and bottled water, presented on tables draped in cow print tablecloths. On another side of the room, the club displayed their trailer, complete with a statue of a dairy cow surrounded by a white picket fence with a “MTSU Farms Dairy Science Club” sign.
Aside from being an evening of simple boot-stomping fun, the event served as a fundraiser and a way to recruit students to join the club.
Dairy Science Club president Esme Keszler said that it was only the second event the club has planned to raise money. Lots of planning and money went into the event, and they appreciate the support from students as well as the opportunity to gain new members and recruit for the club, Keszler said.
“I really want to create somewhere outsiders feel like they can come to,” Keszler said. “Someone who doesn’t fit into FFA or these other AG clubs feels like they can join something like this little dairy club and it makes them feel important.”
Returning to MTSU as the club’s unofficial line dance instructor was alumni Madison Caudill. The former Dairy Science Club president was excited to come back to her alma mater and support the club.
“My mom taught me how to line dance growing up, she would move the coffee table and be like ‘lets dance!’” Caudill said.
Caudill also looked back on her own college memories, saying that she used to spend her weekends as an MTSU student line dancing as well.
The night began with Caudill teaching the dance to “Good Time” by Alan Jackson. She walked the group of eager students through the dance and others, teaching the steps and counts without music before speeding up. Other dances Caudill taught included “Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle and “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” by Luke Bryan.
After teaching a few dances to the group, Caudill took a short break. The DJ played music and requests from the crowd, while the group enjoyed the freedom to participate in dances that they already knew by heart. Some of the dances included “High Class” by Eric Paslay and “Fuego” by Pitbull, two fast-paced routines that are above the beginner dancing level.
After another round of teaching, Caudill and the DJ opened the floor to replay some of the dances and test the crowd’s memory on their newly-learned routines.
Kerstie Wolaver is a reporter for MTSU Sidelines.
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