The Division for Student Life announced on April 6 that the spring concert with rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Sol Chyld would be canceled after the college was “unable to reach agreement on the contractual terms.” In its place, the college organized a new free event called the Spring Sendoff, which could potentially replace the annual concert as the college’s end-of-year tradition, according to college leadership. 

While many students had voiced their excitement for the concert and disappointment at its cancellation, the college hopes the Spring Sendoff will deliver a wider appeal and impact to students. 

The event will begin on Sunday, May 2 at 4:00 PM outside the Adrian Tinsley Center, where students will have free access to ice cream and food trucks, along with activities featuring prizes like free parking passes or meal plans for next year. From 7:00–9:00 PM, the event will move into the basketball court, where there will be a DJ set described as “a video dance party,” by Matt Miller, Executive Director for CSE, featuring lights, a stage, glow swings, photo booths, and music picked out by Program Council to reflect student interests. He added that every student would get a free BSU shirt, along with an item that could be redeemed for prizes in the fall. 

Live performers may be at future Spring Sendoffs, however they won’t be the event’s focus. According to Miller, as platforms like Spotify have diversified musical interests it has become more difficult in recent years to select performers appealing to a wide audience, and students often won’t attend events with unfamiliar musicians. Miller likened the direction to “Crimson Roar The Night Before” where the band was part of a large event, “I think people liked the band, but it wasn’t necessarily why they came. So, I think there’s a shift there that we need to figure out the right way to do music events as we move forward . . . we have an opportunity with this to really find some more of that balance as we look to the future as well.”