By Andrea Clarke
Staff News Writer
On May 7, Washington College will be hosting a revolution unlike any its founding fathers ever saw. The SEB and SGA have given the annual War on the Shore a massive makeover.
“This year’s War on the Shore and the subsequent after party, featuring Lil Jon and Three-6 Mafia, will be unlike anything WAC’s seen before,” said senior Katie Johnson.
Since November, Johnson and her diligent team have been hard at work trying to create the most memorable weekend yet. The day begins at 1 pm on Kiebler Field at Roy Kirby, Jr. stadium where Salisbury University will attempt vie against the WC men’s lacrosse team.
This highly-anticipated event will be broadcasted on television channel ABC 2, internationally at ESPN3.com, and on WCTR 1530-AM. The game is also unique in that it is the first War On the Shore for head coach Jeff Shirk.
With so much at stake this year, students have lots to look forward to.
Freshman midfielder Thomas Petty said, “It’s gonna be crazy. It’s like a championship game.”
“I think it is awesome that the school decided to connect the lacrosse game and the spring concert. I love big days on campus,” said Sophomore Ryan Bankert. He is one of the several students competing in the talent show for the chance to showcase their skills and open for Lil Jon and Three-6 Mafia that night.
Bankert’s talent is “being hilarious. You may also call it stand up comedy. I am looking forward to trying out a new act that I will use when I go to comedy clubs this summer.”
Director of Student Activities Emmanuel Lalande and the War On the Shore committee collaborated to plan the talent show.
“Like for comedy week, we wanted to make sure there was student involvement ,”Lalande said. “These artists come with managers and it’s an opportunity [for talented students] to express themselves for the managers, their peers, etc.”
While Lalande is Director of OSA, he said “I had no hand in picking acts.”
Last November, the SGA’s Social Committee and the SEB sent out a Facebook survey that asked students to select their preferred musical acts.
Lalande said the top acts that were chosen “were just not available. We had to scramble and we wanted to make sure there was a major act that came on campus. [It’s] important to have that kind of excitement.” He added that students should not be deterred, however, because there is “a strong possibility you will see someone from that survey in this coming fall or spring.”
The committee was given a budget of about $40,000 to spend on War On the Shore.
“We came to [Three-6 Mafia and Lil Jon] because they were pretty much in the price range [and would] also make it more of a party,” Lalande said.
“WAC students are very intelligent and hardworking, and pay a lot of money to go here. My job is to make sure we not only work hard but play hard.”
Having previously worked at Delaware State University, this is Lalande’s first year at WCand he hopes to bring that big-university feel to Chestertown. Lil Jon and Three-6 Mafia are one of the first steps to achieving this.
“Since WAC has never brought a musical act of this magnitude to campus before, the members of the War On the Shore-Fest planning committee jumped at the chance to up the ante of the overall event by featuring these artists,” said Johnson, who has spearheaded the day’s preparations together with (class?) Meagan Lepley.
While Johnson says the act “has caused a great deal of excitement in both the Washington College and Chestertown communities,” some students remain doubtful. Though he does not mind Three-6 Mafia and Lil Jon, Bankert said “Personally, I wanted something country.”
Freshman Emily Langan said “I’m not into the people that are performing.”
Several students have also commented that they do not like having the concert open to the public and wish it was exclusive to the college.
Johnson is in favor of the decision, however, and said, “the SEB and SGA have maintained close dialogue between the administration and the local community to ensure an exceptional and safe event, one that WAC students will remember for years to come.”
April 29, 2011
Volume LXXXI Issue 24