May 7, 2012
Peter Farrell
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Tyga, Justin Moore and Mike Posner are all possibilities for the annual fall concert hosted by OSA, but not everyone approves of them.
In the middle of April, the Office of Student Activities released an online poll asking students what musician or band they would like to see perform for the Fall 2012 concert.
In the past three years, UCCS has seen the groups Flobots, a rock and hip-hop band; The Decemberists, an indie/alternative rock group; and locally renowned 3OH!3, an electro-pop duo hailing from Boulder.
The rapper Tyga, country singer Justin Moore and R&B singer Mike Posner are all artists from genres different from those of previous performers.
The poll was created with an emphasis in genre equality in mind. Hosting alternative rock and pop groups for the past three years running, OSA is looking to bring in different musical qualities: hip-hop and country.
Mitch Karstens, program coordinator for OSA, is no stranger to the criticism that the poll may draw. “We’re trying to rotate genres and we picked out two genres that we haven’t done before,” said Karstens.
OSA is a student-focused organization, but accommodating nearly 10,000 people isn’t easy.
Karstens explained, “We’re trying to keep everybody happy with different styles, but the problem is that when we open it up to the general UCCS body we usually get [requests for] people that are like half a million dollars.”
Despite most students lacking the knowledge of how much their favorite musicians typically charge, some are quite vocal about their disapproval of the limited number of choices and the poll’s linearity.
Megan Moyles, senator of housing in student government, as well as president of the Nickelback Resentment Association and the satirical Beard Club, is none too happy about the “real great selection” presented by OSA.
Moyles stated that she feels like the poll’s suggestion box was a consolation prize at best: “I did not like the options whatsoever.”
The poll was structured so that any suggestions were only permitted once an option was picked, much to Moyles’ dismay. “It was like they were forcing you to pick one while also stating your own opinion.”
Brittney Reese, a senior majoring in communication, had a different stance on the candidates. “I really want Tyga to come, only because I know that so many people don’t want him to come – I think it would be the funniest thing in the world.”
Other members of the community are more interested in the meaning of the music rather than the genre. Yonas Hagos, event coordinator for OSA and graduate student, said, “I’m very open minded to whatever. Music is music.
“You just have to have a flow with it, there has to have meaning behind it. Every music has a story behind it, and I’m always interested to hear the story.”