On Sunday, April 26, Union College students gathered for a day of festivities and music. As one of the biggest annual events at Union, Springfest brings high energy and excitement across campus.
In previous years, Springfest has headlined artists such as Flo Rida, DNCE, Charli XCX, and, as of last year, Mustard, a DJ and producer who’s worked with artists like Kendrick Lamar. Every year, students anxiously await the announcement of the year’s performer. This anticipation was evident at the Springfest announcement this past Thursday, April 23. Students filled every seat, lined every wall, and even sat in groups on the floor in Reamer Auditorium. The lineup was revealed in a video created by the Springfest committee. Cheers and screams flooded the room upon the announcement. Sam Dickinson ‘27, one of the three Springfest committee members, remarked, “We were really happy to hear everyone’s excitement over the performers. That’s what it was all about for us, picking the people that you guys want to see come to campus.”
Headlining Springfest this year would be American rapper and singer Swae Lee, known for his songs “No Flex Zone” and perhaps most notably “Black Beatles,” which facilitated the viral “Mannequin Challenge” internet trend in 2016. He also recorded songs featured in the Spider-Verse animated movies. Alongside Swae Lee, the pop-rock band Laundry Day and Union’s very own DJ ScabZ were to perform.
The day of Springfest brought favorable weather compared to the cloudy skies that tainted last year’s event, with bright sunshine and warm weather. Ice-cream trucks present at the event were a much-appreciated addition, keeping students cool and hydrated.
DJ ScabZ, known around campus by his name Jermaine Goodwin, is a Union Dining employee who had the opportunity to take the Springfest stage on Sunday. He appeared full of joy while performing, and the students loved to see his familiar face on stage. “I thought it was really good and that he had a great vibe,” stated Zion Schlussel ‘28, “It was really fun because you see him around. You know how everyone has a campus celebrity? Everyone’s just become Jermaine.”
Laundry Day came on after DJ ScabZ with a lot of energy. Their live instrumentation set them apart from the other two performers, allowing the band members to showcase their talent on guitar and drums. Their most popular song played was “FRIENDS,” which had the crowd swaying to the rhythm.
By the time Swae Lee came on the stage, students had flooded Richmond Lawn, all belting his lyrics and jumping to the beat. Swae Lee was highly interactive with the crowd and had a lively stage presence, taking videos on students’ phones and throwing sunflowers into the crowd. “When Swae Lee came on stage for the first time, I got the impression that he genuinely loves performing,” said Allyson Bennett ‘26, a Concordiensis staff writer and photographer. “I feel like he was the most energetic Spring fest artist I’ve photographed in my four years.”
Since the beginning of 2026, there has been talk of trends from 2016 reemerging. “2026 is the new 2016,” many online have said. Swae Lee is considered one of the defining artists of 2016, as many of his songs were popularized around then, especially his highly popular record “Black Beatles” with the “Mannequin Challenge.” If the aim was to resurrect the energy of 2016, Swae Lee certainly was a fitting pick to headline this year’s Springfest.
