AU lacks typical college school spirit. But after the Lupe Fiasco concert, no one would be able to tell.
On Aug. 24, Student Government’s Student Union Board held one of the most successful concerts they’ve hosted in a long time. Fiasco and the opening act, Travis Porter, brought incredible amounts of energy to Bender Arena. Most students who attended reported positive reactions.
Many things separated this concert from recent SUB concerts.
First of all, it was in Bender Arena instead of the Tavern. This space allowed for many more students to attend, and even encouraged more students to come. By the time the doors opened for the show the line had reached Massachusetts Avenue, which rarely happens.
During the show, everything went smoothly. The lights and sound were both impressively done and made the show very engaging. Students overwhelmingly appeared to enjoy the performance from beginning to end.
SUB staff also did a fantastic job promoting the show. They used social media in new and smart ways, such as announcing creative contests for VIP tickets through Twitter and Facebook. Noah Gray, Director of SUB, went on the stage before the show to pump up the crowd. Together all of these actions brought students together in a way that has not been seen recently. To an outsider it may have even seemed like AU has some school spirit.
Not only was the show successfully done, but many student organizations were able to work together without conflict. WVAU DJs opened the show while students filed into Bender. It was great to see one student organization supporting another. If this mentality of encouragement lasts throughout the semester, more and more AU-sponsored events will be this successful.
All students, freshmen to seniors, came together at this concert and had a terrific time. AU does not have a football team to rally behind, which is often seen as a huge loss for our school spirit. However this Welcome Week, SUB proved to the student body that we can indeed have school spirit. -E
edpage@theeagleonline.com
