Published 2012-01-23T21:01:00Z”/>

Miguel Rocha

Students had a wide range of events offered to them last semester, including plays, music, guest speakers, family shows, concerts and even comedy.

I attended and wrote about a couple of Laxson Auditorium’s events and would have guessed students would be the ones filling the front rows, but I had a hard time locating many of my fellow classmates.

One of the common reasons students don’t attend events is familiarity, or lack thereof, with the artist, said Dan DeWayne, director of University Public Events, in an email interview.

I have to agree.

I think students are sometimes scared off by an event description that has to do with listening to a guest speaker or lecture. Students want to escape that atmosphere for a while. They want to see something that will take their minds away from the classroom.

My guess is that they would be more inclined to go to a good concert instead, something similar to the Steve Aoki show this weekend.

For those who enjoy the creativity of movement, there’s Keeping Dance Alive, an eclectic dance concert coming up in April. People looking for illusion inspired by light should try the Theater of Light show in February.

However, mandatory attendance, willingness and the resources required to attend an event can sometimes be issues. I remember when it was a general education class requirement to attend four cultural events. I didn’t like it one bit, and I have heard from several other students who were also less then happy with the requirement.

The sad part was that students had to pay to attend the events. To me, that seems like we are being forced to pay for a grade. Although students get a small discount, the tickets for certain events are still kind of pricey. C’mon, it’s college.

I think I managed to go to four events that were free. And I never regretted going, because I always left with a good feeling and  a smile.

So if the free events were good, then the paid ones have to be even better.

Chico Performances, responsible for the events at Laxson Auditorium, brings some of the finest artists from all different genres, DeWayne said.

With 39 events last semester, the musical performances were the leaders when it came to attendance.

The comedic performances of Steven Wright and “Whose Live Anyway?” attracted more than 100 students, DeWayne said. So did the Creole Choir of Cuba and Kings of Salsa.

Chico Performances usually counts more than 100 students at most events, he said. But I think 100 students still isn’t enough. Attendance should be higher.

There needs to be more events our generation can relate to.

Music is kept on the calendar, but maybe a few more comedy events should be booked, because they received a large response from students.

Incorporating some Chico State student performances may possibly be a good idea. We have great student bands, talented performers and plenty of jokesters, all eager to show their work.

I don’t want to leave the educational or informational events out completely, but those are presentations that students get enough of in the classroom.

The few times I have been to a Chico Performances event, I have attended without any expectations. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the performance and had an overall good time.

“I think the arts provide a wonderful way to experience ideas, cultures, diversity and other points of view that are essential to the learning process of helping us understand and accept each other,” DeWayne said.

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<strong>Miguel Rocha can be reached at</strong>

<em>[email protected]</em>