Opinion Board | A letdown on the Green

Got plans this Saturday night?

Much to the University's chagrin, we're guessing they don't involve partaking in the "Celebration on the Green," - a University-wide party on College Green to kick off the highly anticipated capital campaign that will fund Penn's development of the postal lands.

That's really too bad, as this weekend will mark a truly monumental moment in Penn's history.

But while we encourage you to go, we can't blame you for not.

The University has done a lackluster job of promoting this "one-of-a-kind" event and failed to make it an attractive way for students to spend their Saturday night. One e-mail sent out over a week ago, an obscure Web site and a few sporadically placed posters informing students that "The time is now. The place is Penn," just don't cut it.

And while students are probably aware by this point that something will be happening on the Green, we wouldn't be surprised if the majority of Penn students have no idea what that something is, let alone are planning on attending. If the University wanted students to be a force at this event - as they should be - there should have been a full-out marketing blitz in the weeks prior.

It's too late for that, but even if there had been one, the event doesn't promise to be all that exciting. From an entertainment perspective, a flurry of a cappella and performance-arts groups are lined up to perform, which may repel as many students as it's designed to draw in.

Then there's the "spectacular laser light show" which may have seemed awesome when you were in 7th grade, but probably not so much anymore.

In all fairness, there will be a "celebrity guest DJ" at the event, but something tells us it's not DJ AM.

Booking an A-list entertainer or artist would have been a great way to have College Green hopping tomorrow night, but evidently re-sodding the Green was deemed more important.

As far as attracting students goes, the free food may be the only thing Penn got right about this event.

We hope to see you there, but we won't hold our breath.

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