2008 Woodie Awards
Concert choice unacceptable
Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: Rocket Letters
To the Editor:
I want to make it clear that overall, I think that UPB does an excellent job of putting on some great events. Their concerts are well attended as are many of their other activities and events that they put on. With that said, this letter is about my severe disappointment in the Lil' Scrappy and The Clarks concert that was last Friday in the MPR. The ticket said that the show would start at 9 p.m. Finally, at 9:40, Lil' Scrappy came on the stage and started his performance. Nowhere during those 40 minutes did anyone from UPB or any of the other organizations putting on the concert come on stage to explain the delay. While Lil' Scrappy was performing, I saw bottles of liquor being held up in the air in the audience near the stage. Something that was uncalled for and inappropriate. Lil' Scrappy's music involved sound effects that were used repeatedly during the show. These included, but were not limited to, automatic gunfire and the pumping of a shotgun. The first time I heard this gunfire, I almost hit the floor of the MPR. Not only were the sound effects distasteful but so were the lyrics, at least what I could make out of the incoherent mumbling that he performed. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy rap. But this performance was so vulgar I was embarrassed to attend a university that would condone such an artist to come and perform on our campus. There was yet another problem at this concert, the security or should I say, the lack thereof. I arrived at around 8:30 so that I could get a good spot to see The Clarks, the only reason I went to the concert. The only security there were a few students in yellow T-shirts ripping my ticket stub in half. About halfway through Lil' Scrappy's performance, seven police officers from different forces came in to the MPR. After the police dealt with whatever situation it was that it took seven of them to respond to, the student security guards started patting people down to see if they had bottles of alcohol. I am all for security and don't mind being patted down, as long as it is from someone who actually has training and knows what they are doing and not a fellow student. I was insulted that the security of this concert was left in students' hands. Once Lil' Scrappy was done, all the trouble makers must have left because The Clarks show went off without a hitch.
Mark Felbinger
Senior
Elementary Education major
I want to make it clear that overall, I think that UPB does an excellent job of putting on some great events. Their concerts are well attended as are many of their other activities and events that they put on. With that said, this letter is about my severe disappointment in the Lil' Scrappy and The Clarks concert that was last Friday in the MPR. The ticket said that the show would start at 9 p.m. Finally, at 9:40, Lil' Scrappy came on the stage and started his performance. Nowhere during those 40 minutes did anyone from UPB or any of the other organizations putting on the concert come on stage to explain the delay. While Lil' Scrappy was performing, I saw bottles of liquor being held up in the air in the audience near the stage. Something that was uncalled for and inappropriate. Lil' Scrappy's music involved sound effects that were used repeatedly during the show. These included, but were not limited to, automatic gunfire and the pumping of a shotgun. The first time I heard this gunfire, I almost hit the floor of the MPR. Not only were the sound effects distasteful but so were the lyrics, at least what I could make out of the incoherent mumbling that he performed. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy rap. But this performance was so vulgar I was embarrassed to attend a university that would condone such an artist to come and perform on our campus. There was yet another problem at this concert, the security or should I say, the lack thereof. I arrived at around 8:30 so that I could get a good spot to see The Clarks, the only reason I went to the concert. The only security there were a few students in yellow T-shirts ripping my ticket stub in half. About halfway through Lil' Scrappy's performance, seven police officers from different forces came in to the MPR. After the police dealt with whatever situation it was that it took seven of them to respond to, the student security guards started patting people down to see if they had bottles of alcohol. I am all for security and don't mind being patted down, as long as it is from someone who actually has training and knows what they are doing and not a fellow student. I was insulted that the security of this concert was left in students' hands. Once Lil' Scrappy was done, all the trouble makers must have left because The Clarks show went off without a hitch.
Mark Felbinger
Senior
Elementary Education major
