Matt Wertz performs Wednesday night on the Clements Hall Lawn at After Dark. (Casey Lee)

Despite a cold October evening, SMU students crowded outside Clements Hall to watch AFTERdark, a show put on by SMU students starring musician Matt Wertz and inspirational speaker Joe White.

Joe White, a former SMU football player and coach at Texas A&M, currently owns and operates Kanakuk Kamps, Christian sports camps in various locations across the United States. AFTERdark was organized by college students who attended the camp with the help of an advisor.

Sophomore Samantha Verrill, who has been attending Kanakuk since she was seven years old, helped organize the event and gave some insight into the program.

She explained that White speaks at every AFTERdark and inspires students to connect with their spirituality. He even takes time to send personal e-mails to every student who attends AFTERdark.

Verrill had nothing but great things to say about singer Matt Wertz, exclaiming, “he’s probably the funniest and nicest person I ever met.”

Although the entertainment was one of the main draws of AFTERdark, the main reason for the program was to inspire students.

Verrill was amazed by all the positive feedback she received from those in attendance. During the program, cards were handed out and students were able to share their comments. One person replied, to paraphrase, that a spiritual connection once lost had been reestablished after the concert.

Verrill noticed that the audience’s reaction was definitely tangible, and the reason for such a positive reception was, “they saw something they always hear in a different way.”