UA hopes for September concert

Already anxious for next year's Spring Fling concert? You might not have to wait so long, after all. Three Undergraduate Assembly members have plans under way for a major concert on campus in the third week of September. Hoping to bring about a new University tradition, College sophomore Samara Barend, Wharton sophomore Clive Correia and College and Wharton sophomore Andrew Ross have begun setting up the fall concert already as co-directors. "Penn needs a major social event in the fall to draw the whole school together and start the year with a bang," Correia said. "We have a lot of events in the spring, but the beginning of the year is bare." Attempting to get the entire school enthusiastic about the concert, Correia said he wants to bring either one major band or two slightly smaller -- but still well-known -- acts to campus. The co-directors have looked into the possibility of booking either Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan or Blues Traveler as a single headliner. A combination show might include They Might Be Giants, L.L. Cool J., the Mighty Mighty Bosstones or Silverchair. "We want this to be a major event," Correia added. "Whoever we bring to campus will appeal to a wide range of people and have the ability to put on an excellent show." The idea for the fall concert developed from meetings of the Tangible Change Committee -- the UA committee working with the Vice Provost for University Life to bring about "tangible changes" to student life. The committee is lining up support and co-sponsorship proposals from various student and administrative groups. The class boards, the InterFraternity Council, the Social Planning and Events Committee and the UA -- among others -- have all expressed some interest in helping to promote the concert. "This is definitely going to be a joint effort on all parts," explained Barend, the UA vice chairperson. "It will be an unprecedented show of students coming together to improve social life at Penn." The three co-directors spent last Saturday in Washington, D.C., meeting with a major booking agent. Correia said "things are looking good" for attracting a big-name band. VPUL Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum said the University is committed to working out the funding necessary to support the concert. She added that the co-directors have been asked to move ahead with the planning, and additional funding information will become available over the summer. "I think the concert is a great idea, and we will be working over the summer to finalize the details of our first-ever new student orientation show," McCoullum said. "[The co-directors] have been fabulously innovative, and they are really dedicated to the idea of using the concert as one of many strategies to create the sense of a Penn 'shared community'," she added.

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