Koret Lodge transformed into a bumping, bright Dons-only nightclub last Thursday for the Campus Activity Board’s (CAB) annual DJ Competition.
You could hear the bass thumping from outside the sliding doors, and inside were approximately 200 students crowded around the DJ table, dancing in front of the San Francisco skyline; complete with flashing string lights provided by CAB. The night’s contestants were DJ Staffbox, DJ panda, LIVINROOMPARTY, Troisieme, DJ Carrot, DJ Izzy and Zorg.fm, all competing for a chance to open the headlining artist of this year’s Donaroo concert in April.
Donaroo, an annual, spring-semester concert for USF Students, is orchestrated by CAB. Last year’s artist was Wallows, and Grammy-winning artist Doechii headlined in 2024.
Leanna Leung, a sophomore public health major, said her and her friend already bought their tickets because “last year was a blast.” It was hard to concentrate on Donaroo when USF students were furiously mixing music on a timer and facing a panel of judges. The judges included Bay Area DJs and promoters, such as DJ Jacki, the winner of the 2024 DJ competition, and local recording artist Jimmy Hits.
This year’s competition was the first year with themed rounds: round one was to mix two different genres of music, round two was a freestyle and the third round was Donaroo themed, where the DJs had forty minutes to create a set using music by the top six choices for this year’s Donaroo artist. The DJs were also given a flashdrive with on-theme songs selected by KUSF.
Senior architecture major and first time competitor, Sebastién Pierre, dominated the deck under his alias Troisime, blending drum and bass, rap, Brazilian funk and pop for a truly unique set. He’s only been DJing for about a year and a half, usually playing smaller scale-events. “I did enjoy meeting the other DJs,” said Pierre, “and everyone got to show off their different styles.”
Sophomore nursing major Vivian Hoang said, “Me and my friends loved it when a DJ played Clairo, that was legit our favorite part of the night.” Hoang also said she loved the way Koret Lodge felt completely transformed, complete with flashing string lights and towering speakers to really make the space feel like a nightclub.
As rounds went by and DJs got eliminated, only four remained for the third and final round. DJ Carrot, DJ Izzy, Zorg.fm and DJ Staffbox received their instructions and flash drives for the final round, and went off to compile their set. Anticipation filled the room during the forty minute break, with music provided by KUSF.
When the DJs came back in, the crowd came back to life, cheering and ready to dance to their impromptu sets. Each DJ had three minutes to wow the crowd and win over the judges. Hearing how all four performers interpreted the theme and created their own mixes definitely made for a tough choice. It was hard to stand still during the four final sets; even the judges panel couldn’t help but nod their heads on beat. You could feel the bass thumping in your heart and each beat drop felt exhilarating.
The runner up of the night was Carolayne Lage, a senior media studies major better known as DJ Carrot, who turned heads with her reggaeton take of PinkPanthres’s “Illegal.” Lage competed last year, but “didn’t make it that far,” and went into this year’s competition “wanting to have fun and showcase [her] best,” she said. She’s only been spinning for about a year, so she couldn’t believe it when she was one of four DJs left standing. “It was really crazy making it to the final round,” she said, “because everyone is so talented and you never know what the judges are looking for.” Lage said that she had a lot of fun competing at her last DJ Competition as a USF student. “Everyone brought something different to the table and a different vibe in their own way!”
DJ Izzy, or Isabella Quiroga, was the night’s crowned winner, masterfully ending her set with Fischer’s “TAKE IT OFF.” The junior architecture major spent her whole three minute set dancing and singing along with the crowd, while still focusing on her mix. She’s played at pop-ups around the city, clubs and parties, but still took preparation for the competition seriously, “by listening to music everyday with the intention of trying to put together fun mixes,” she said. Quiroga stayed up a few nights because she “could not sleep without thinking about it,” she said; her dedication definitely paid off! On her win, Quiroga reflected: “I felt so much joy when I won because I had so many of my friends there to support me. I am so, so, so excited to open at Donaroo!”
The DJ Competition is also traditionally where CAB announces the Donaroo artist. However, this year they announced that the artist that was originally booked canceled just that morning, due to personal conflicts. But, the show will go on, and CAB released a new poll for students with four new artists to choose from, which was only available for 24 hours. This year’s Donaroo is also the first to feature a 21+ section with alcohol available for purchase, according to CAB’s Membership and Outreach Director, Sanchita Shahane.
