Swinging into Springfest

Choice of Voodoo Daddy not half bad; swing lessons can help students groove

Springfest is the most visible event put on by the undergraduate council every year, and has the potential to be to bring students together in the warm spring air. But fried dough, carnival games and a fenced-in paddock for beer drinkers are not enough to create a quality event. The council needs a popular and well-respected band that will bring students out of their rooms and away from their textbooks. Yet at the same time they are constrained by the limited funds available. The council's record of finding bands has improved in the past few years--from the debacle of God Street Wine to their well received choice of the Violent Femmes last year. Although some council members nourished a dream of bringing George Clinton to the MAC Quad, his $75,000 price tag was funky in another sense of the word.

The council's second, successful bid, for the swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, is a fine choice for this year's Springfest. Swing music consistently proves popular with Harvard students; swing formals, parties and even Core classes have usually drawn an enthusiastic crowd. Voodoo Daddy is a well-respected leader in the swing music scene and can be relied upon to put on a good show.

Moreover, the council will also save $7,000 dollars of the $22,000 originally allocated to lure a band to Harvard. This is an important consideration for the cash-strapped council. Although a substantial portion of that money should be spent on student groups, the council would be wise to redirect some of it toward improving Voodoo Daddy's visit. Swing dancing on the muddy morass of the MAC Quad in spring isn't too likely, and without a place to dance much of the appeal of swing music is lost. A small investment in planking over part of the MAC Quad, coupled with some extra expenditure on food and lessons for beginners, will go a long way towards making this years Springfest a first rate event.