SpringFest is an important Brandeis tradition that brings students with different music tastes together as a community. For this year's event, several students are proposing a two-day festival with Bob Dylan as the headline act in order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his 1963 performance at Brandeis. While we appreciate the student body's attempt to cultivate and expand on this part of the University's history, we have several concerns that students should consider to better facilitate the discussion of Dylan's possible appearance at this year's SpringFest.

Students should be aware of the costs of hosting such an event. Procuring Dylans performance would cost around $300,000, and this does not include the additional price of the other acts, possibly hiring an event planner and preparing Gordon Field. The students spearheading this initiative have proposed selling $90 tickets for individuals outside of the Brandeis community to attend. However, the likelihood of selling the number of tickets needed to cover these costs is a concern to this editorial board, which thinks there might be a significant possibility that not enough tickets will be purchased to cover the costs of the event. A comprehensive business plan would address all of these concerns, but one has not yet been made public.

Moreover, it is unclear how much Dylan's performance would affect the University's image or attract prospective students. A Dylan concert at Brandeis would not be unique to the University-he went on a college tour in Fall 2010, including a stop at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. While Dylan's prior relationship with Brandeis would make this a unique occasion, we are concerned that the resources that would be diverted to hosting such an event might outweigh the benefits.

We also wonder whether the character of SpringFest itself will be challenged. While Dylan undoubtedly has a wide fan base, his music is not representative of the entire campus' taste in music. WBRS brands itself as having "something for everyone," and this has largely held true at past SpringFest concerts, including the 2012 SpringFest that featured Fun. and Childish Gambino.
A folk-themed festival might appeal to some, but this board feels strongly that SpringFest's broad appeal should be maintained. If a second day is added in addition to Dylan's concert, we hope that a broad range of acts will be considered outside of the folk genre.

While we do not entirely oppose Dylan performing at SpringFest, we hope that these concerns lead to a well-informed, substantive discussion of the issue. The upcoming town hall forum is an opportunity for the students planning this festival to address these questions. We urge everyone attending to ask tough questions that get to the heart of these issues and refrain from simply green-lighting the event because of Dylan's fame. SpringFest always has enormous potential but, before undertaking such a massive endeavor, we hope that a sound plan is in place.
*