EDITORIAL: Step up search for Fling bands

The Spring Fling Committee should try to sign up-and-coming bands with widespread appeal. Last year's disappointing bill, featuring A Tribe Called Quest, the Toasters and Fun Lovin' Criminals, wasn't secured until three weeks before the event. Several SPEC officials attributed the late announcement to the fact that both of the group's top choices, Bob Dylan and Beck, fell through. Other schools, however, seem to be having better luck. Brown University, for instance, was able to get Dylan for that weekend. It might be worth looking at what these schools are doing to successfully attract popular artists. SPEC Jazz, which is sponsoring a concert with Bella Fleck later this month, also has a history of bringing in relatively well-known artists for low-priced shows. We recognize that the biggest names are likely out of SPEC's budget range. But we don't need (or necessarily want) the Spice Girls to make a successful concert. Rather, up-and-coming bands with widespread appeal, such as Barenaked Ladies, would make for a concert people will be excited about. We appreciate the extensive work SPEC's Spring Fling Committee puts into planning the events around Fling, and we hope that "Things That Go Fling in the Night" will be a success. For our part, we'll cross our fingers and pray it doesn't rain.