Last Thursday afternoon public safety put yellow caution tape around the South Lot parking lot, and just like in years past, Fall Fest was upon us. This year, AJR, an indie rock group, was the headliner of the Sept. 15 event.
Thank you again to @ajrbrothers and @publictheband for coming to Quinnipiac and rocking our Fall Fest 2018!!!! We had soooo much fun!!! #qufallfest18 pic.twitter.com/Ql8UCQDgoc
— Quinnipiac SPB (@quspb) September 16, 2018
While this is the first big recreational event for all students in the fall each year, students and alumni say it is not well attended and is mostly for freshmen and sophomores.
“The bands are bad,” senior Patrick Brooks said. “I went to a darty (day party) instead and the school can’t do anything more because it’s meant for freshmen.”
Students also say they wish that they could have more of a say in the process of choosing a performer. The Student Programing Board (SPB) tells the student body who it has picked for the concert and does not ask for input outside of SPB.
Students – and alumni alike – say they have felt frustration about the event for some time.
“Personally it wasn’t my type of music,” alumna Nikki Hunyh said of the Fall Fests during her time at Quinnipiac from 2014-2018. “I feel that if the school got the students more involved, like ask them what type of music they wanna hear it would be more of a popular event.”
Another issue that students say they have with Fall Fest is the lack of advertising by the school to entice the student body.
“You don’t really hear much about it. All you get is an email,” senior Ethan Reever said.
Recent Fall Fest artists include Jamie Lynn Spears, Timeflies, Jana Kramer and The Hennigans.
Students watching tennis during Fall Fest.
“The artists decide if people will go. If the artists are popular, a lot of people are going to go. If they’re just somewhat decent, than people aren’t going to go,” junior Areesa Jasmine said.
This year many students found alternatives to attending the fall concert. During a survey of campus during the concert, reporters found that students were hanging with friends or going to sporting events. Many students said they went home for the weekend.
“I just stay in my dorm and hang out with my friends instead of going to the concert,” sophomore Robert Weinfeld said.
Whether they like it or not, students say Fall Fest will still be the official start of the fall semester for the Quinnipiac community. And some students will continue to feel the same about Fall Fest.
“I don’t know what Fall Fest is,” sophomore Robert Martinez said.