Rein Dam by Kathy Revtyak
Shk, ars postp
arm, springtime rays of sunshine coupled with a comforting breeze created the inviting atmosphere created the inviting atmosphere for the Culture Shock WIUS planners had hoped W for. Unfortunately, the 70 degree temperatures and sunny skies left town Friday afternoon leaving a cool and wet Saturday for the outdoor concert. "I just can't get over this horrible weather," said freshman Mark Panning, a member of WIUS's Special Events Committee. "We met at 7:30 this morning to decide what to do with the concert in light of all of the rain we've had today. The downpours just drenched Dunn Meadow." The rain responsible for soaking Dunn Meadow the morning of April 13 forced planners to move the start of the musical festival from the scheduled 11:30 a.m. time to 1 p.m. "We were actually supposed to start setting up at eight this morning, but because of all of the mud here, we couldn't even set up the two stages until nearly eleven," Panning said. Due to logistical difficulties, the Special Events Committee decided to scrap the first two bands from each stage. Ginger Kit and Chamberlain did not perform on the soft stage reserved for light music, and Japanize Elephants and Mystery Guest were not able to perform their harder rock on the loud stage. But the remaining 12 bands did perform on schedule at hour-long intervals. "Earlier, I was so disappointed that we couldn't have all of the scheduled bands perform. I knew that would drastically cut our attendance and perhaps reduce it for the rest of the day, too," said senior Thad Jayn, Assistant Programs Manager for WIUS. Although Dunn Meadow was nearly empty until 2 p.m., attendance improved by 3 p.m. Jayn and other organizers estimated the attendance nearly equalled that of last year's festival, about 7,000 to 10,000. "People finally started showing up," Jayn said. "Things really did come together after all." Yet the attendance of vendors who set up booths around Dunn Meadow and solicited the patronage of Culture Shock attendees was clearly down. Twenty-five groups were expected to show up, but seven tables were vacant. Senior Kristina Garza, who set up a booth selling tiedyed shirts and hemp necklaces with seniors Martha and Greg Holtz, said, "The weather really is kind of a bummer. If it had been like yesterday, everything would mostly be gone by now. But because it is so cold and damp, people just aren't coming out." continued
66 Calendar
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'culture Shock, lower attendance
