Ohio University’s spring concert is still several months off, but OU is already compiling suggestions for a performer.
To begin the artist selection process, students should submit requests to OU’s Campus Involvement Center, which is organizing the event.
“Ninety-five percent of the work is finding the artist,” said Brian Heilmeier, coordinator for campus programs for the Campus Involvement Center. “If you provide what (students) want, they’ll come.”
The date for this year’s concert is undecided, but March 21–23 is being considered, Heilmeier said.
The center will start collecting suggestions from student organizations — such as Student Senate, the OU Program Council and the Black Student Cultural Programming Board — in early October, but it will take suggestions from individual students as well.
To suggest an artist, students can stop by the center on the fourth floor of Baker University Center and talk to a center employee.
The center wants to have all the artist suggestions by the weekend before Oct. 22, Heilmeier said.
After the names are collected, the center will send out a survey to the entire student body before Thanksgiving asking students whom they’d like to see at OU.
If a submitted artist’s name does not appear on the list, the performer was unavailable or out of the center’s price range, Heilmeier said.
“We want to make sure there’s an affordable ticket price for your average (student),” said Andrew Holzaepfel, associate director of the center.
Ticket prices vary with what the artist demands, though Holzaepfel said he doesn’t foresee selling tickets for more than $50.
Last year, the center spent about $150,000 for Wiz Khalifa and Sean Kingston to perform. The artist’s contracts alone cost about $100,000, and the center almost broke even on the ticket sales, Heilmeier said.
Students already have varying ideas for who should be featured at the upcoming concert. Elizabeth Williams, a freshman studying psychology, said she believes Kid Cudi would be the best fit for OU.
“A lot of college students are into that music right now, and he’s the alternative to the kind of music that’s on the radio,” Williams said.
Others suggested hip-hop artist 2 Chainz.
“I think he appeals to most crowds and a lot of different ethnicities … so that’d be a good way to bring people together,” said Zyrece Montgomery, a freshman studying theater.
Montgomery isn’t alone in the vote for 2 Chainz, but some students have other reasons for wanting the rapper to come to OU.
“I love (2 Chainz) and think he’s really sexy,” said freshman Victoria Marques. “He definitely would be well received after the whole Juicy J thing.”
dd195710@ohiou.edu
