Music is the most primordial form of communication and the most fundamental bond between individuals, if formed through communication. Sounds are an expression of emotion. Based on the tone of a song and its tempo, you can discern the composer's emotions. There is only one uniform language in the world, one language that every man, woman, or child can speak, and that is music.
Franklin & Marshall College no longer sees the value in musical entertainment for students. As a school, we don't put emphasis on it and, despite our pleas for change, students are still losing out. I remember the last time that there was a decent concert here. It was "Lupe Fiasco" four years ago. I remember the floor shaking, the music blaring so loud that I couldn't hear myself speak, bodies gyrating in unison. The floor was shaking so much that it was ruled that the structural integrity of Mayser Gymnasium would not allow for a concert ever again. Imagine that feeling of the floor shaking so tremendously that students literally almost brought the house down. When I reflect on that night I remember thinking to myself how extraordinary it is that all of these people from different backgrounds were brought together in the enjoyment of music.
Let us be frank for a minute and discuss how the rules and regulations surrounding the social environment of the school have increased ten-fold. If the school wants to clamp down on the social experience then they might as well build a new kind that ensures that we aren't suffocated by our overpriced textbooks every weekend. What is the motivation for the administration? It would be impressive, as a school, if the moments that students remembered post graduation weren't all of the highly illegal and illicit activities that they participated in during college, but also of some of the school sponsored events.
This community is a special place. I want it to become more than it is now. A good friend of mine, a successful musician, told me how he became interested in music. He was at a "Kid Kudi" concert and, from the moment tthat the first song made its way to his ears, he knew that he wanted to be that person on stage. Music inspires. School events have the ability to inspire people.
Some might argue, especially the administration, I gather, that the schools endowment is not exceptionally high and F&M can't afford it. To those I say that it isn't a matter of lack of funds, it is a matter of valuing this aspect of the F&M experience enough that we allocate the right amount towards our events. Schools just as small as ours, in the centennial conference, have put emphasis on it and we should follow suit before we become a school that students no longer want to attend because we get an F on social climate.
