Howard’s various residence halls were filled with energy as students gathered for this year’s ResFest Pop Out, a prelude to the university’s annual Springfest.
The events showcased the residence halls’ dance, stroll and step teams as they prepared to go head-to-head for the ResFest championship this past week from April 10-11. The performances were met with excitement and admiration from students, who praised the teams’ precision, creativity and stage presence.
A standout moment of the ResFest Pop Out was the return of the College Hall North (CHN) dance team.
According to Coach Mykaela Pettigrew, it was the team’s first ResFest appearance since 2020 after being inactive for several years due to unknown circumstances. Their comeback was met with applause and support.
Naima Bocage, a freshman biology major, called the performance a redemption moment.
“They have upperclassmen that have probably seen the dance team perform, but as a freshman, I never had,” she said. “So they kind of set the standard in my opinion.”
Looking ahead to the ResFest competition, the CHN dance team has ambitious goals.
“I want everyone to remember the College Hall North dance team as being talented, innovative and inspiring,” Pettigrew, a sophomore honors business major said. “I hope we can bring new visions and styles to ResFest and really showcase our team’s creativity.”
Freshman broadcast journalism major Nyla Phillips, a dancer for the team, echoed that sentiment.
“I envision bigger stages and a reputation that speaks for itself. The future of CHN Dance is limitless, and I can’t wait to see it continue to shine,” she said. “The crown never tilts, and the legacy will only grow stronger.”
Following the College Hall North dance team’s return, the remaining performances continued to captivate the audience’s attention. Terrance Reese Jr., a freshman mechanical engineering major from Virginia, was impressed by the execution of the Harriet Tubman Quadrangle (Quad) stroll team.
“I liked that they were sharp. It was really organized, they knew what they were doing,” he said. “It was a good presentation too.”
Jordyn Fieulleteau, a freshman political science major from Lake Mary, Florida, highlighted the sense of unity among the teams.
“I really loved the group thing with the Quad and Drew step team. They just brought it all together,” she said. “It’s really fun to see a community like this—it just warms my heart, especially during Black History Month.”/
The high-energy routines left a lasting impression on Taylor Keeton, a freshman honors English major from Richmond, California.
“The energy was big. The amount of flips, splits and just acrobatics that I saw during this week of pop-outs was insane,” she said. “They went down, got back up repeatedly—that was crazy!”
For Nile Borja, a sophomore marketing major from Brooklyn, New York, the event was personal.
“Since I am part of a ResHall team, Drew Stroll, it was cool seeing a new generation of strollers pop out and show their talents,” he said. “Overall, I think everyone put their best foot forward and really showed out.”
Karrington Kalise, a freshman political science major from Memphis, Tennessee said the performances kept the audience engaged.
“I think the confidence and how many parts there were to the performance really stood out the most,” she said. “Just as you thought it was ending, a different song would play. It was exciting and kept the audience engaged.”
Zarion Irby, a freshman international business major from Minneapolis, Minnesota, particularly enjoyed the College Hall South (CHS) step team’s performance.
“They were standing up and had their backs on top of each other—it was cool,” he said. “I think they had a really strong lineup for sure.”
For Tony Kenneth, a freshman computer science major, the routine reignited the team’s legacy.
“The routine, the energy—it definitely brought back the spark they had, so I liked it,” he said.
After much anticipation, the CHN dance hall Team, the CHS step team and the Quad stroll team took first place at the Resfest 2025 Competition. These victories were met with joy and marked a historic moment for the CHN dance team.
As Howard gears up for Springfest 2025, themed “Made in the Mecca,” with performances, cultural showcases and student competitions lined up from April 13-19, the spirit of Howard pride and tradition will be on full display following the celebration of ResFest.
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
