Collegiate Times

An 8-foot clown?closely resembling the main character from the horror movie ?IT??dangled from the left-stage rafters.The looks of an Austin Powers? Mini-me?trapped in an iron cage?suspended from the right-stage rafters.Center stage, a giant clown skeleton?in a yellow and red jester suit?ominously hung with outstretched arms.

No, this was not the leftover decoration from last weeks haunted house. The stage setup was for the Vanilla Ice concert, held last night in Burruss Auditorium.

?The set design was all Rob?s (Rob Van Winkle a.k.a Vanilla Ice) idea. I was really surprised when he started putting it up, but I was like, it?s your set man?it?s a mature audience show,? said Jon Hardage, Virginia Tech Union Director.

Hardage wanted to take Vanilla off the Ice and rekindle an enthuastic flame for Virginia Tech students

?We thought the concert would bring back nostalgia for a lot of the students and it would be a lot of fun,? Hardage said.

?I thought it was ridiculous enough that he was playing here that I had to come.It only makes sense that he plays those songs because probably 90 percent of the people here came just to hear them,? said Thomas Easton, sophomore university studies major.

Brothers came together last night to reminisce their childhood.Ben, a sophomore computer science major at Radford University and Andy Frank, a Virginia Tech sophomore in Mechanical Engineering were eager to hear Ice?s songs from the past.

?We kind of grew up on Vanilla Ice and the Ninja Turtles as part of our childhood,? Andy said.

The half shell was also half full for Whitney Svensson, sophomore double major in English and psychology.At mention of the Ninja rap song, she smiled and excitedly said, ?All I remember is the Ninja Turtles were really into him, and I was really into the Ninja Turtles.Therefore, I was into Vanilla Ice.Basically the Ninja Turtles are the backbone of Vanilla Ice,? she said.

Tina Hu, senior marketing major, wished the signature Vanilla Ice style hadn?t faded with her childhood. ?It was awesome back then?with the baggy pants and shoulder pads?and the faded hair cut! Oh, it brings back memories.?

The hopeful Hu knew she would probably not see lines in Ice?s hair, however, the knowledge did not stop her from being one of the first in line at the opening of the show.

?We are interested to see what his music is like now,? Hu said.

Ross Miles, sophomore in building construction said, ?He is a legend and I want to be part of history.?

Some students however, were not aware of Ice?s infamous rupture.

When asked if she knows his newer stuff, freshman communication major, Madeline Aillyer said, ?I don?t know his older stuff.?

At 7:38 p.m. the lights were still on and the concert had not started. Smoke appeared and the crowd cheered awaiting Ice to appear.Several minutes later the lights went out.He emerged from the smoke.A black hat disguised his eyes from the audience as he rapped harshly into the mike and started stomping and throwing Kroger brand water bottles into the confused audience.

Perhaps the most notable part of the night, besides it ending less than an hour after it began, was the encore.Ninja rap had not been played.Many students had left, however a third of the audience remained and chanted for three minutes until he came out and performed what they had wanted to hear.

Ice ended his concert with this statement, ?Always remember what doesn?t kill you makes you stronger.We are who we are because of who were were.?