The date for the first-ever Battle of the Brandeis DJs had been set for weeks, and the seven student DJs were ready. Max Price '11 was full of confidence in the days leading up to the event. When asked to tell justArts a bit about himself, he proudly stated, "Max Price is a destroyer. He eats other DJs alive. He's rewriting the rules of the DJ game, and everyone else is simply irrelevant. Max Price will melt your face off." Judging from that level of passion from the usually soft-spoken Price, the event seemed like it was going to be memorable. Not only would it be unique because of the scheduled performances from the seven talented DJs, but it also stood out because of the identity of the show's emcee.

Upon entering the darkened Levin Ballroom, one's ears were immediately enveloped by thumping rhythms the likes of any popular Boston dance club. The party went on in a Pachanga-esque style until Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 took the stage and introduced "the man of the hour."

University President Frederick Lawrence took the stage as the host of the Battle of the DJs. At intervals between the performances, he spoke to the crowd about his lack of knowledge regarding the DJ world, humbling himself but not showing any resulting signs of embarrassment. He progressed with his greetings despite some microphone malfunctions. His confidence among the students at their most relaxed was quite notable, and the student body chanted, "Fred Lawrence! Fred Lawrence!" in response to his domination of the stage.

The event had, in fact, been the idea of his wife, Kathy Lawrence. "Kathy and Fred Lawrence wanted to do something to welcome students to a new semester and his presidency. The idea to create an event around DJs was a collective idea by Student Events, Student Union, Student Activities and Kathy Lawrence," Acheampong wrote in an email to justArts. "We all thought that the first weekend of school was the best time to hold the event."

It turned out to be the best time indeed. Despite the chilling weather outside, Levin was packed with students dancing and cheering for their favorite DJs. Upstairs was a beer garden, in which students ages 21 and up could be found enjoying drinks and beats.

The seven DJs lined the stage, some with turntables, some with laptops, and each with his own unique musical style and persona. DJ Max Price was dressed in a high cut T-shirt, a face mask and a headpiece, using only his iPod and speakers to play "Fight the Power" while he showed off some of his best dance moves.

DJs Aarish Sheikh '11 and JP Wiegand '11 wore Phantom of the Opera-style masks. The DJ pair had one of the most unique setups, as they incorporated live music into their act: Wiegand skillfully played bass guitar over Sheikh's tracks.

A crowd favorite, however, was DJ Marcos (Marcos Sandler '12). Students brought posters in Sandler's support, one of which read, "Hot and Spicy, DJ Marcos," of which the "I" and "J" were chili peppers. The DJ, clearly thrilled with the turnout of his friends and supporters, happily took the poster and held it high above his head, eliciting cheers from the crowd. During his set, he mixed popular older songs with newer hits, and his performance did not disappoint his fans.

The standout performers of the night were the three NuEra Entertainment DJs, especially DJ Vicious (JV Souffrant '13). With passion and skill, he mixed many recognizable Top 40 hits. "I've been DJing for about 3 years, and I think that this battle is a great way for Brandeis DJs to show off their skill to their community," Souffrant wrote in an email to justArts.

At the end of the night, the DJ who elicited the most cheers from the crowd won the competition. "All the DJs were incredible. The battles were tough, competitive and fun," Acheampong said. In the end, the winner of the Battle of the Brandeis DJs was NuEra DJ Sensation (Johnny Wilson '13). As a prize, DJ Sensation gets to open for the Student Events Concert on Feb. 12, Super Mash Bros., a Girl Talk-esque mash-up group. With a rock star attitude, the generous support of his peers and his crazy head-bobbing moves, DJ Sensation makes being a DJ seem like the coolest gig in the world.