The days of rowdy head-banging pits in The Convo might be over as the Campus Involvement Center is moving the spring bash to the halls of the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.
For the past two years, Student Senate has picked an act for the spring by sending out a survey asking students who they would want to see perform; this year, however, a different survey was distributed.
“Ultimately, it was the students who decided,” Student Senate President Zach George said in an email. “A survey was sent out towards the end of the Fall Semester asking which was preferred, one big Convo Concert or several smaller ones held in Mem Aud. A majority of those that took the survey were in favor of the latter.”
Amrit Saini, vice president of Student Senate, said that the survey is sent out to every student, and 60 percent of those who responded preferred concerts in the smaller venue.
There were also problems with the semester switch, as The Convo is booked for most of Spring Semester. Under quarters, the Campus Involvement Center, Student Senate and other organizing groups had five more weeks to work with in May and June.
Saini said organizers had played around with the idea of holding the concert in Peden Stadium but couldn’t because of a scheduled re-turfing.
Now the large spring concert will be split up into multiple smaller acts in order to please students of all different tastes. The first two acts were announced over break: Grammy-winner Colbie Caillat and 2012 American Idol winner Phillip Phillips.
Andrew Holzaepfel, associate director of the Campus Involvement Center, said Caillat has been one of the center’s most requested artists and that he is excited to bring her to the campus.
Caillat has written with Jason Mraz and Taylor Swift, and has sold more than 10 million singles, including her most well-known song, “Bubbly.”
Phillips’ American Idol coronation song was met with instant success. The folky guitar-laden “Home” can be heard on several commercials and was even used in NBC’s coverage of the 2012 Olympics.
Phillips will be touring colleges this spring, first with a small acoustic four-piece band and then with a full band arrangement for his OU performance. No announcements have been made for the opening acts of either Phillips or Caillat.
“We’re definitely looking to add more shows that we haven’t booked yet,” Holzaepfel said. “A majority of students wanted more Mem Aud shows, so talking it over, we’re going to try and get two or three more shows in the auditorium.”
George added that he would like to see another big-name comedy act, because the Campus Involvement Center has been successful at bringing in those acts. Student Senate, though, has handed over the reins of booking to Holzaepfel’s department.
This does not mean the Spring Convo Concert is gone forever, as future Student Senate leaders could decide to bring it back if students demand it.
“As previously expressed, it’s really what the students want,” George said. “However, I do believe we’ll see the return of a Convo Concert in future years.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
