LETTER: New Appreciation

I must say that Bill Madison was unnecessarily harsh in his criticism of the Spring Fling Committee for their selection of Blues Traveler as this year's band. Obviously, with Penn's diverse student body, no band is going to satisfy everyone's musical tastes. But racial issues aside, it is very easy for the author to stand on the outside and criticize the efforts of others when it is clear that he has no idea what goes into the event's planning. I did the same thing last year. This year, however, one of my housemates is a member of the Spring Fling Committee and was instrumental in securing Blues Traveler. He spends countless hours a week hammering out details that the rest of us will take for granted on April 11. Until now, I had never appreciated the hard work involved and the enormous number of restrictions, both financial and practical, that are placed on the Committee when it considers musical options for Fling. I think Blues Traveler is a really good band. Madison should stop by Discovery Discs and have a listen before he labels them a "Grateful Dead-wanna be band." Statements like this don't do either band justice. Finally, I hope my partying is not too severely hampered by the unsettling fact that Blues Traveler is not in sync with the Mardi Gras theme. I know this is a serious problem, but I think I'll get over it. If this minor inconsistency is enough to constitute a "cracker in the author's soup," then maybe he just needs a change. I personally recommend Ranch Wheatables. ERIC KUHN College '93

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