"That was probably the highest attendance that we've had (for an event) so far," Director of marketing and communications at the MSU Museum, Stephanie Palagyi, said. "There were over 300 students dancing and listening to music. There were snacks, apple cider and there's always prizes."
The "Unwind" series is a rebranding of a series formerly called "First Fridays". With the change, events are no longer limited to only taking place on the first Friday of the month, and they are more specifically targeting students' mental wellness.
"They're geared for MSU students to relax, meet new people and cross-disciplines because the museum is for everyone, so you might meet people outside of your majors that you wouldn't necessarily encounter in other situations," Palagyi said. "I hope that students are able to attend and find a place to unplug and restore or take a break from studying in a fun, relaxing environment."
Public policy and political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore Anabelle Sanchez attended the program's first event.
"It was a really nice environment and the music was great," Sanchez said. "I really wanted to try a silent disco, (but) I never got the chance to do it last year. I always wear headphones, so wearing them in a communal space and everyone listening to the same thing is a really cool idea."
Sanchez added that the event did help her to relax and that she would be "very likely" to attend another event in the "Unwind" series.
"I was busy earlier (in) the day doing errands, (but) when I was there (at the disco), I didn't even think about that," Sanchez said. "There (were) some adults from the community, but the majority were students, and it was just such a vibe. The people who were working it were all very nice and very welcoming, and I think that adds a lot to it."
Following the disco, "Unwind" will host a movement event in IM Circle called "Move Your Way" on October 17. There will be yoga, aromatherapy, zumba and more. November's event will be a game night, and to celebrate their reopening, there will be a silent disco in the museum for January's event. All events are free, but the museum asks that students preregister at the MSU Museum's website, as tickets are limited.
January will be the first time in 18 months that students can step back into the MSU Museum.
It's been closed for a very long time," MSU Museum Education Program Coordinator, Brittany Carter said. "We're very excited to go back into it. As long as everything goes according to plan, which so far it is, but I am not making any promises to anybody, we should be open in January. So I'm very, very excited."
The goal after construction is complete is for the museum to be a safe space for students.
"We really want to make the museum that 'third place' that people think about going to and enjoying," Carter said. "We're adding in living room-style relaxation areas so we really want to try to encourage students to come and just hang out. I feel very excited to be able to help promote that even more and show (that) the museum isn't only a place of learning, but a place of having fun."
The museum will continue to host events for students in the building once it is complete.
"We also have done study Saturdays (in the past)," Carter said. "We invite students to come and study on Saturday for some free coffee and donuts, which might be in the works."
Along with hosting events, they will continue to function as a museum and are even adding new exhibits to their collection.
"The new exhibits are going to be really fun," Carter said. "Our upcoming exhibit will really encourage people to think about current events in a different way. I definitely encourage people to come and check it out. We're a very multidisciplinary museum. We have things that look at real, current problems from different angles and that really facilitate a lot of thinking. And we also have natural history things as well, where we'll have dinosaur casts or taxidermied animals. I think we're a very special location and a very special museum that has a lot of different things and different programs."