Dear Editor,
Many people got wet on their way to see Dr. Maya Angelou on March 21. I rode my bike, as I am sure at least two or three other people did. I rode from Davis to Brown where I knew I could leave the bike under cover. I ran across the street and up the steps only to find, “no entrance” on the east side of the Mini-Dome.
There were lovely signs made up and even two people huddled in a doorway to tell you to take a jog, so I did. I saw an older couple walking solemnly, I saw a large man, who was walking yell, “you’re cheating” to a small man running. I was cursing under my breath and jogging. I saw many people, all traveling around a massive structure in the pouring rain for no good reason.
I was completely soaked when I reached the doors, as were many other people. I wanted to know why the other doors were not open so I asked a young man who handed me another program and then promptly ignored me. I thought of many things as I sat ignored and wet in my seat. I thought of how ironic it was, that at a university, where there are supposedly “smart” people, we would rather have people walk in the rain instead of using the conveniently placed entrances.
A similar incident occurred last semester when I attended the Ludacris concert. There was a huge line so I decided to venture around to the other side to see if they were letting people in. I asked two men who rudely told me to go back around to the other side. I did go back to the other side and went directly to the front of the line. I left almost as quickly as I entered.
The Mini-Dome will host the Goo Goo Dolls soon and apparently both sides of the Dome will be open. The seating has also been increased from the limit agreed to for the Ludacris concert. Has the seating capacity of the Dome been increased? It seems as though African-American artists are treated differently when they come to ETSU.
I still do know why we have these ridiculous concerts. I say ridiculous because a small minority of students like Ludacris so why should we all have to pay $85,000?
The Goo Goo Dolls had maybe two hit songs and that was almost a decade ago. So why should we all have to pay $100,000?
Am I the only one who realizes how much good we could have done with $185,000? We could have bought computers for the late night study and maybe a new computer lab altogether.
We could have had students from the Gulf Coast, displaced by hurricanes, come to ETSU to live and study. We did not do anything like that though, we gave musicians $185,000.
I am sure the Goo Goo Dolls need the money though, considering they have been out of work since ’98.
Jesse Ball

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