Editorial: Long awaited concerts

Once upon a time, concerts were commonplace in Cameron. Bands would move in and out of the venerable facility several times each semester, giving students a social outlet in a large, welcoming environment. Then came the renovations, and, in 1997, athletics administrators effectively shut down students' access to Cameron for concerts. Citing the need to protect an expensive new floor, officials mandated that any use of the stadium for concerts or other large events make cumbersome preparations.

Now, student leaders have shown a willingness to make those preparations, and the Department of Athletics has wisely agreed to cooperate. If students can find a band to fill its Feb. 7 window, Cameron will host its first major concert in six years.

This plan is long overdue. One of the most effective ways administrators and students can create a greater sense of community on campus is through large-scale events like concerts. Events that are open to everyone and that are centered around a common interest have the most potential for positive impact. Cameron has proven itself as a unifying student space for athletics--it holds dozens of athletic events each year--and the facility has worked in the past for non-games, including when students come together to watch Final Four events there.

In order for those events to take place, however, planners need a venue. Since Duke lacks a large venue with new technology and space for equipment--Page Auditorium holds fewer than 1,200 people in an outdated space--the only indoor venue that fits the bill is Cameron. As a long-term solution, Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, should include a new performance space in redesigning student social space, but for now Cameron is the only option.

That students were able to convince athletics officials to use Cameron for concerts is a testament to unity among student leaders. The heads of four major student organizations--Campus Council, Duke Student Government, the Duke University Union and the Graduate and Professional Student Council--worked together on the proposal and demonstrated the change that can take place when student leaders act in their constituents' best interests.

It would be a shame, however, if that unity were lost after this year and the planned concert became a one-time event. As the gatekeepers of some of the most viable programming space on campus, athletics officials need to commit to working with students on using athletics facilities for such events in the future. Assuming the concert goes well and the wooden frame that will be constructed will protect the floor, Cameron should remain open for the entire student body.