Last year’s University Program Council sponsored Auburn Airwaves “Concert Block Party” is not hard to forget and not for the right reasons for some concert attendees. With a line-up like Kesha, Nelly and Nick Jonas along with a one-night-only open container law in downtown, the block party was bound to be a good time, and it was.
However, at the City Council meeting following the Concert Block Party, Auburn residents voiced their displeasure toward the actions of the concert attendees and the performers. With Toomer's Corner slammed should-to-shoulder with Auburn University students, families and music enthusiasts, UPC made a poor impression on the City Council and the City of Auburn as a whole.
Fresh off an arrest less than two weeks before the concert that included charges of possession of crystal meth and possession of marijuana while in possession of a .50 caliber pistol, a .45 caliber pistol and a .500 magnum Smith & Wesson, UPC elected to allow Nelly to continue his scheduled performance in Auburn, one of the most conservative communities in Alabama.
If sending fliers home to students of Auburn City Schools about an event that included artists known for their not-so-PG lyrics and a street filled with alcohol was not bad enough, allowing a rapper freshly charged with such serious crimes to walk into Auburn and perform certainly was.
Following the Concert Block Party and backlash from the community, Vice President for Student Affairs Bobby Woodard recognized the mistake made by UPC but also defended the process as an opportunity to make decisions and take responsibility for decisions as part of the students' growth and development.
Now, less than a year after what Councilman Ron Anders dubbed a “mistake,” UPC has released the names of the artists set to perform. And while the performers are similar to last year's, changes to the concert should protect UPC and the University from any public scrutiny.
With artists Rae Sremmurd, Lil Jon, and Natalie La Rose set to perform March 31, a G- or PG-rated concert is possible but may be hard to come by. It’s not that one of these rappers was just arrested for possession of meth or illegally carrying a gun that makes it not PG. It is simply that some of their songs are not meant for the ears of people below a certain age. However, UPC has made the appropriate changes to put the earmuffs on the young.
Instead of holding an open container, open to the public block party in the heart of downtown, UPC has made the conscious decision to move the venue to the field by the Red Barn, out of the site of downtown, which should take away the argument that inappropriate behavior soiled our beloved Toomer's Corner.
However, perhaps the biggest and smartest change to this year Auburn Airwaves is it is no longer free to the public. While the concert will be free to Auburn University students, the general public will have to purchase tickets at $25.
Although some Auburn residents may argue UPC should have just booked appropriate, PG-rated artists for this year's Auburn Airwaves instead of more rappers, they must remember that UPC is here to serve the likes of the students and give them what they want.
Although the performers are similar to last years and UPC could have hired more appropriate options, I applaud UPC's efforts in trying to protect the public from another mishap like last year's by changing the venue as well as charging the public for admission while still continuing to deliver what they believe students want.
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