Amine takes center stage after students win a KS 107.5 contest. photo by Andrew Villescas
A local radio station brought rapper Amine to Thomas Jefferson High School after students won a contest.
On Tuesday, October 10, KS 107.5, a local radio station in Denver, brought one of their radio show hosts DJ Rosa and rapper Amine to TJ for a concert held just for the Spartan community. TJ was among 40 other high schools in Denver Public Schools who were apart of the contest, dubbed Jam in the Gym, where students were able to text their mascot name to a number in order to get votes. The high school that had the highest volume of texts won a free show, and the Spartans came out victorious.
TJ students were determined to win, texting frequently in order to win the concert. Every day for two weeks before the concert, students advertised on the Spartan Edition, urging everyone to participate, and though they were matched up against much larger schools such as East High School and South High School, Spartans ultimately won due to their use of the TJ app, the daily broadcast of the Spartan Edition, and the weekly newsletter to promote the competition. Program Director for KS 107.5 Victor Starr noted, “The response was fantastic. The schools that utilized their reach, whether it be through Twitter or morning announcements like [TJ], showed the most reaction.”
Amine is a rapper who rose to fame with his single “Caroline,” that was then featured on his album Good For You, released in early 2017. He was in Denver for a concert at the Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom on the night of October 10, so KS 107.5 planned the Jam in the Gym around his arrival. KS 107.5 personnel arrived early to TJ to set up the auditorium with their DJ’s sound system and banners advertising the radio station in order to put on a good show for the students. Spartans started lining up outside of the auditorium as early as 1:00, eagerly awaiting the show. The regular class schedule was shortened to accommodate the concert; students were let in at 2:15 and rushed to grab their seats. KS 107.5’s night-show host DJ Rosa started on stage, hosting a dance-off among students, giving the winner a pair of free concert tickets to an upcoming show in Denver. After the students were on their feets and cheering for the dance-off DJ Rosa brought the main event on stage. Amine sang two of his songs, starting with “Spice Girl” and finishing with “Caroline.” Freshman Jude Shaw mentioned, “Once he started Caroline everyone rushed to the stage and it was a really cool group interaction. We really bonded over the concert.”
Not only did winning the competition show tenacity and determination of the Spartan student body, but it also was an excellent display of school spirit. “When we put our minds to something we can do whatever we want. If we want to do something for the school, like win a competition, we are able to work together and make it happen because our community is very tight-knit and involved. It’s incredibly rewarding,” commented Athletic Director Anne Rice. The students’ exhibit of pride paid off, earning them a free concert from a world-famous artist and a break from their hard work in the classroom.
