As sweet summertime comes to an end, students once again are packing up their lives and heading back to their second home.
Are students quite ready to jump back into the norm with papers, tests and books? Not exactly. Thankfully, schools are aware of this, and give college pupils what they actually crave: the back-to-school concert series.
While some schools bring in big names like Ke$ha and Kid Cudi, other universities fail to achieve their students’ satisfaction, with less popular or less current artists or groups.
Tori Kiss, a Cornell University sophomore double majoring in government and economics, said her school never fails to disappoint, and that the first concert is something everyone looks forward to — this fall, it is The White Panda.
“I’m so impressed by our concerts — we had so many last year, all pretty big artists,” Kiss said. “We have a student-run concert commission that sets them up, and I think most people would agree they do a really good job.”
Kiss said she sees the concert as a huge reunion for everyone after being apart during the summer, and that The White Panda’s dance music is the perfect atmosphere.
While Cornell will house The White Panda, Penn State will feature Dispatch, the University of Missouri will host Jason Derulo and the University of Virginia will present We the Kings.
George Washington University sophomore Katherine Rodriguez said that usually student organizations are developed to pick the artist because they are students themselves. The decision is made based on budget costs and student preferences.
Rodriguez believes a survey would be the best solution to alleviate student concerns about booking a top band.
“Without a survey that gauges student interest from a list of possible bands, it's pretty much hit or miss to know what the students will like,” Rodriguez said. “Also, if one band has to cancel or can't be booked, the programmers can look to the second most popular band and so on.”
Personally, Rodriguez would rather see a more unique, less popular group take the stage: “I think if they showcase some more local talent from GW and the surrounding community it would be a great way to showcase up and coming talent.”
Who will be coming to your college this fall? Check your school website to find out more information.
