If you have a computer, smart phone, or some kind of access to the Internet, chances are you’ve heard the undulating synth and peculiar sounds of Baauer’s “Harlem Shake.” This song has become viral with the help of a good ol’ healthy university-, and now high school-wide video competition.
Videos have been submitted from all over the country with a similar 30-second theme. They each start out with Baauer’s vibrating tones accompanied by a seemingly “normal” day on some campus when all of a sudden the bass drops and a deep, sultry voice breaks the pulsation with a “do the harlem shake” and out of thin air, a massive crowd appears dancing, twerking, jiving, hip-thrusting, and shaking their way across the screen, ending with a slow motion finale.
John Yassa, a first year Biology major, decided to start a Facebook event page in hopes to create our very own SFSU Harlem Shake video. The first attempt had a lackluster outcome, so Yassa had high hopes for the next one. Talk of the infamous video buzzed around campus and President Wong agreed to make an appearance if he accrued 100 tweets with the hashtag, #ShakeItWong. The hashtag quickly caught on and within hours Wong was polishing off his dancing shoes.
The day had finally come on Friday, Feb. 22, the sun smiled on Malcom X Plaza as it filled with crowds of costume-clad, half-naked, school-spirited Gators ready for their 30 seconds of fame. The video kicked off with Wong doing a solo performance in the plaza and then the rest of the masses joining in as the harsh snares and mechanical bassline played out.
Yassa did an incredible job assembling a huge group of Gators and showing off SFSU’s school pride. Despite SFSU being a commuter campus, this event pulled together a massive amount of students that shared a love and excitement for unity and fun. Go Gators!
John Yassa, producer of the SFSU Harlem Shake video brief Q&A:
Q: How did you become “the guy” to arrange this huge event?
A: I honestly did it just because it looked like everyone had so much fun being in the (first) video, but now some people are saying this is the most school spirit they’ve seen, so I guess it’s bringing people from all over school together.
Q: Why should others get involved?
A: I guess there really isn’t a reason. It’s just something you might want to look back on and laugh at or show your friends. Plus, it’s fun to completely let loose every once in a while and this is a great excuse for that.
Q: Any other ideas for another SFSU flashmob video?
A: I don’t have any ideas at the moment, but I’d be more than happy to do something like this again after seeing how much fun it was.
Yassa ended the interview with, “I can’t wait to see what kind of moves President Wong has in store for us!”