T-Pain welcomes Warhawks back

Emily Lepkowski, News Editor

Students rapped along with rapper T-Pain, who wrapped up Welcome Week with the 3rd annual Warhawk Welcome Concert on Tuesday, Sept. 6 in Kachel Fieldhouse, helping excite students for the year ahead as well as moving back on campus. 

Students waited in line outside of the Williams Center an hour before the doors opened to the concert.

“I’m pretty excited, I like concerts,” said sophomore Daniel Lee. “I kinda just want to see what he’s [T-Pain] got going on.”   

T-Pain’s high energy set got students fired up as he performed crowd favorites such as ‘Blame it on the Alcohol’ and ‘Buy U A Drank.’

Opening Acts included U-W Whitewater Alum Vania Morales and current UW-W student Miron Jacobs.

The UW-W Greek Community also got students on their feet before welcoming T-Pain with a Unity Step performance

Taking some time to speak to the crowd, T-Pain thanked students for coming out to the show.

He praised students for being in the moment rather than using their cell phones during the performance.

T-Pain performed covers of other rap hits and highlighted fellow bandmates with an instrumental of the Pink Panther Theme Song.

“I knew during the first day of U-Dub-Dub, when the motivational speaker was here, they played T-Pain in their intro,” said freshman Karissa Opie. “The music I heard there seemed really energetic and interesting, so I want to give it a chance.”

UW-W Greeks represent

The UW-W Greeks performance helped welcome T-Pain as well as conveying to campus and the community what Greeks life is all about.

Step is a form of dance that includes different footsteps, clapping and spoken word.

Senior participant Jordan Teske-Harrison hoped to break down stereotypes through their performance.

“Because there’s so many television shows and movies that show Greeks are these big party people and and we’re actually normal people, like we have jobs, and we have lives,” said Teske- Harrison

Greek Advisor Sarah Suter also helped organize the performance when the opportunity came about.

“Oh, I was extremely nervous but I was super excited to go up there and felt really comfortable,” Teske-Harrison said. “Because we had all been practicing together and we were all pumping each other up to say you know we got this.”

A few members from each Greek organization participated in the group, except for a few who had prior obligations.

“I think the dance shows how we were very respectful to everybody, doing our call, showing our sign, you know any part of it, show your family, in Whitewater,” Teske-Harrison said.

T-Pain and a band member rap and dance at Welcome Concert. photo by Aaron Gottschalk
T-Pain and a band member rap and dance at Welcome Concert.
photo by Aaron Gottschalk