Staff Ed: Big-name concerts are fun, but not when students misbehave

By BLUE & GRAY PRESS

On March 14, the University of Mary Washington and the Campus Programming Board announced that the university would be welcoming rappers Waka Flocka Flame, known for his popularity in 2009 with hit songs “No Hands” and “Hard in the Paint,” and D.R.A.M, popular for his hit song, “Broccoli.”

The student body held a great deal of excitement welcoming the big time artists, following the sold-out concert of 2016, rapper Lil Dicky and alternative-pop group, X-Ambassadors. At the Lil Dicky concert, many students complained of some of their peers being “aggressive” and rather “reckless.” A couple of students were in fact injured during the 2016 concert. Though that was the case, it was still considered a successful concert by majority in attendance and prompted CPB to out-do their previous work.

The doors for this years concert opened at 7 on Thursday as hundreds of students and other guests had already lined up, waiting to get into the Anderson Center. Waka Flocka went on stage first and it did not take long for students to get to the front of the stage, form a circle and start enjoying the concert. As the nearly 1,000 students and guests packed in front of the stage, they began shoving one another, trying to get the best spot. Numerous students were pushed over and knocked on the floor. At times, you could see groups of students being pushed and swayed back and forth, as though a group tumble was about to take place. Concert security could be heard on the stage screaming to various students to calm down and threatening removal, which was just the beginning.

Throughout the concert, numerous students could be heard complaining or seen shoving one another. As this progressed, numerous students were being removed from the concert by the security hired by CPB. Kids were taken out for acting violently, being too intoxicated and it was even mentioned that people were removed for possession of marijuana and other drugs.

With actions like this by the student body and visitors of the university, it has become a fear for those who have acted responsibly that they may lose these privileges. If individuals refuse to act how they should or in an appropriate manner, it takes away from their peers and prohibits them from having the good time they had intended. Safety is important for all individuals and that is certainly the reasoning behind hiring outside security to work with university security.

If as a university, having continuos big name artists come to the university or to have the university allow us to have such luxuries, acting appropriately and in a civilized manner is important and necessary.