After its successful debut last year, the Husky Rumble glow-in-the-dark pep rally organized by the cheerleading squad experienced a significant decrease in student attendance with ticket sales estimated around 260.

Despite the previous year’s popularity, cheer coach and event coordinator Kim Hackman reported receiving student complaints that the 2014 Rumble’s featured performers, 69 Boyz, were not relevant to the audience’s age group.

Hackman was able to book Cupid, the popular R&B vocalist behind “Cupid Shuffle,” for this year’s Rumble through social networking and connections in the music industry. Cupid made it a priority to create a more intimate performance environment by allowing students to dance on the floor of the gym and by dancing in the middle of the crowd at various times throughout the night.

“I’ve met people tonight who say that they’ve been listening to my music since they were in the third grade, so it’s good to be able to establish that type of relationship with my fans,” Cupid said. “I don’t even call them fans, I just call them friends.”

Cupid on the success of “Cupid Shuffle.”

Positive changes this year also focused on the Rumble’s aesthetic, as Hackman realized that neon colors, rather than white, work best under black lighting for a glow-in-the-dark setting.

Although there was a decline in attendance, Hackman is hopeful that word of mouth about this year’s performance atmosphere will spur an attendance spike next year.

“I think that the students definitely enjoyed being on the floor, so I’m going to find a way to make sure that everyone would be able to stay down on the floor next year,” Hackman said.

Photo by Jake Arthur

Photo by Jake Arthur

Photo by Jake Arthur

Photo by Jessie Burton

Photo by Jake Arthur

Photo by Jake Arthur

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For more photos from the Rumble, head over to the HagertyJourn SmugMug.