Norwich hosts MTV's DJ Skribble at first NU concert

By William Knox
Norwich Guidon Managing Editor

DJ Skribble, an intentionally known DJ and regular fixture on MTV, gave a concert at Norwich University on Oct. 4. It was the largest event put on by the Norwich University Activities Council and the Corps of Cadets S5 Section this year, one of many that students say have livened up the campus.

Joshua Creighton, 20, a communications major from Scituate, Mass., is president of Norwich University's student senate.

"We had a lot of different ideas for our first concert," Creighton said. "We really wanted to get someone with talent, like DJ Skribble."

Nola Folger, 21, a psychology major from West Paul, Vt., attended the whole concert.

"I thought it was fun," Folger said. "It was something different, something we've never had at Norwich. I wouldn't mind more stuff like that."

Several students have been noticing the increase in student activities on campus this year, and most agree that it is an improvement in the overall atmosphere of the school.

Natasha Waggoner, 21, a communications major and native of Carlsbad, Calf., is head of both S5 and NUAC, the organizations responsible for bringing DJ Skribble and other activities to the campus.

"Everyone, even Chan, our advisor for NUAC, is saying that this is the best year they can remember for student activities," Waggoner said.

Vice president for student affairs, Col. Michael McKean, credits the hard work of the S5 and NUAC with the quality of activities being offered this year to students.

"Our S5 section and our Norwich University Activities Council, working with Chan Stowell, have done a bang-up job this year trying to bring in entertainment that the students are interested in," McKean said. "All the reports I have are that everyone thought DJ Skribble was really terrific, which means it's worthwhile."

McKean acknowledged that DJ Skribble might not have appealed to the whole of the student body, but went on to say that he is hopeful for the future.

"It wasn't the Dixie Chicks, so I wasn't quite so interested in it, but it was what most students wanted," McKean said. "Certainly everything doesn't appeal to everybody. That's also the reason that we try to have different types of entertainment."

This year, the S5 and NUAC have already hosted an outdoor movie night, a foam dance party, and several picnics featuring inflatable party games on Lower Disney Field.

"Diversity amongst the entertainment groups is very important, so that eventually every student has something to go to here they personally enjoy," McKean said. "It's of interest to this university that we create a quality of life that everyone has something to do on the weekends that they're interested in that they want to go to."

The value of the investment of school funds into these activities is one that McKean believes is measured in the satisfaction of the student body.

"It isn't a matter of is the cost worthwhile," McKean said. "If the student body enjoyed it, it's absolutely worthwhile."

DJ Skribble cost the school $10,000, according to Waggoner, with another $4,000 being paid for lights and sound equipment. Waggoner said that the expense was not completely covered by ticket sales.

NUAC pushed forward with the concert this year, despite last year's failed attempt to host a concert here at Norwich. That failure cost the school thousands of dollars, but McKean said he believes it paid off in the success of this year.

"We tried to bring in a big concert last year that fell through, because bands we wanted became busy, and the band we finally got was a no-go in terms of the students didn't think it was high speed," McKean said. "So we had to cut bait, and I lost money on that, but it was worth trying. I don't see it as lost money."

Waggoner said that this concert was more successful because, as an artist, DJ Skribble appeals to a broader audience than a traditional rock band.

"We got someone that people actually wanted to see," Waggoner said. "It's all about appealing to the crowd at Norwich. DJ Skribble plays rap, hip hop, techno. It's a broad enough range that everyone can enjoy it, instead of having a rock band that only people who like that band will go to."

McKean indicated he believes change can only come with experimentation, and that with experimentation, there is no guarantee of success.

"It's a lot of new innovative stuff, and you don't know until you try it if it's gonna sell," McKean said. "The effort is to get good quality of life here at Norwich for our students. And as long as it's in good taste and it's something they're interested in, then we're gonna try.

Students so far said that they like the change from prior years, when entertainment was always a car ride away.

"This is good, because it's an on campus event and it will force people to stay for the weekend instead if going home or up to Burlington," said Kyle Blaikie, 21, a communications major from Long Island, NY.

Dan Anderson, a 23-year-old geology major from Atlanta, Ga., said he believes the success of this concert will help bring future concerts to Norwich.

"I think for the first concert here at Norwich, there was a good turn out," Anderson said. "I think that's going to set up for, not failure, but success in the future. It was a good concert. We just need to get good people back here. We just need to keep doing it."

McKean is hopeful that the continued effort of the Corps' S5 and NUAC will keep the activities going through the winter months, when morale in the student body is lowest.

"My only hope is that we can keep the pace of this up through the winter," McKean said. "When we get in the doldrums around here, it would be wonderful if we can continue this lovely weekend excitement. I think we can. The students up in NUAC are just great."

Waggoner said that NUAC has already filed their calendar through the end of the semester, and is already planning events for 2003.

"It's going to keep going," Waggoner said. "We've already got another, smaller concert set up for February.

"Right now we're trying to get another big band to come here around Junior Ring time," she said. "In November, we're going to a conference where we'll get to see a lot of different activities that we can pick from to come to Norwich. It's going to be awesome."

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