What would it take for a college freshman, during his or her first Welcome Weekend, to get off on a good foot with MSU's student government?
Don't look for a punch line - ASMSU is serious about Welcome Weekend 2004. After passing a bill during last Thursday's Student Assembly meeting to set aside $50,000 for potential costs, ASMSU seems determined to attract a big-name artist for a major, on-campus concert to kick off fall semester.
Waynestock, this is not. ASMSU and Comptroller Michael Trudeau, who introduced the bill, are steadfast in turning 17- and 18-year-olds on to the fact that student government can be "cool."
That doesn't sound daunting at all, does it? Convincing freshmen who are about four hours freshly out of Mom and Dad's control to file into a venue instead of hitting the house parties?
"Forget the beer, dancing and friends I've yet to make," one college freshman said to the other. "Let's go see B2K and call it a night."
To ASMSU, good luck. The notion of setting aside a substantial amount of money to provide students a convenient, marquee concert is categorically praiseworthy - if completed in a time-on-task fashion with a big-name band that the kids of the Class of 2008 will flock to.
The decision to share the wealth of ASMSU's bankroll is a solid and laudable one. It's a great idea to corral freshman into a venue for a night of rocking good fun while promoting the graces of student government, but it still might be difficult to get 10,000 freshmen excited about ASMSU.
For the amount of money set aside, though, anything less than an unequivocal success - kids have a good time, the event makes money, the concert isn't run over budget, etc. - could be labeled a failure.
Best of luck, ASMSU, in your worthy crusade to bring MSU the biggest and best names in the popular music. But for the love of God, please, please, not Nickelback, matchbox twenty, B2K, Bow Wow, Hilary Duff, anyone who's ever been on American Idol, Maroon 5, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, The Offspring, the "Milkshake" girl ?
