Last Friday night, the College-in-the-Woods Dining Hall transformed completely into a quaint quasi-coffeehouse with a calming atmosphere for the annual Woods Jam. The lights placed around the staircase banister provided a level of ambiance, and the tables were carefully rearranged to face the stage. The usually drab Sodexo-run dining hall was surprisingly inviting, and hand-drawn coffee cups adorned the backdrop of the stage. An array of fancy desserts and coffee was provided to attendees, giving them the full coffeehouse experience.

“I think it went really well. A lot of effort went into decorating and getting the food together,” said Elizabeth Smyth, academic vice president of the CIW Area Council and a junior double-majoring in psychology and human development.

Woods Jam didn’t just serve Binghamton University singer-songwriters; It was also a welcomed opportunity for bands and musicians of varying genres. DJ-singer duos impressed the crowd, and bands hooked up their amps and brought out their portable drum kits, providing a full taste of what musicians in College-in-the-Woods have to offer.

“I love hearing what all the different bands bring to the table and what they contribute to the music culture [on campus],” said Jennifer Carpenito, secretary of the CIW Area Council.

The CIW Area Council worked hard to bring the College-in-the-Woods community together. As Woods Jam is one of CIW’s biggest events of the year, the council tried to set the tone for what the rest of this year’s events would look like.

“It was a lot of fun organizing the event. [The CIW Area Council] all worked together and took on different responsibilities,” said Carpenito, a junior double-majoring in psychology and English. “It gave us the opportunity to interact with other people in CIW in order to get a show together.”

Julie Quinn, a junior majoring in history, made her Woods Jam debut this year. Quinn has been playing guitar and singing since the fifth grade and was excited to have an opportunity to play in an open mic setting at Binghamton.

“It was an opportunity to play somewhere that wouldn’t be too crowded,” Quinn said. “At first I was a little nervous, but then it was fun.”

Quinn wowed the crowd with an acoustic cover of Pearl Jam and some of her own material. She described her music as a grunge-folk hybrid and even provided the audience with some laughs by cracking a few jokes and covering “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” at the end of her set.

“I like to be silly,” said Quinn, commenting on her performance style.

As the night progressed, the dining-hall-turned-café flooded with people hoping to catch a glimpse of some of CIW’s most talented residents. Sean Sherwood, resident director of Oneida and Onondaga who is a musician himself, was enthusiastic about this year’s performances.

“I am very excited about this year’s lineup,” Sherwood said. “We have a lot of talent in College-in-the-Woods, and it is awesome that they have an opportunity to display it.”

Keren Orr, an undeclared freshman, was excited to attend her first Woods Jam.

“It seemed like a really chill event, and I wanted to see what the students of Binghamton could do,” Orr said. “I thought it was really cute how they made the dining hall look like a café.”

Now that Woods Jam is over, students are patiently awaiting their next opportunity to see residents perform again.

“I can’t wait for Woodstock,” Orr said. “I hope I get a chance to see even more great performances.”