Taylor’s Slice of Nice is a weekly column that focuses on good things happening around the globe and takes a look at how we can implement them locally. 

What they’re cooking up:

When college students aren’t busy cramming for midterms, hunkering down in the library to crank out a ten-page research paper, or appreciating a few rare hours of sleep, they get bored easily. This is where university entertainment committees come in: to plan events like concerts, speakers, and forums to fend off boredom while enriching students’ college experiences.

UW System schools across the state boast impressive lineups of big-name bands and well-known speakers every semester.

UW-Stevens Point featured forums with composer Philip Glass and host of NPR’s “This American Life” Ira Glass last semester alone. UW-Milwaukee featured Morgan Spurlock, director of such documentaries as “Supersize Me” and “Freakonomics,” just last Wednesday in their student union. UW-Oshkosh has hosted big-name musicians Ben Folds and Jack’s Mannequin, and Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco have recently played at UW-Milwaukee.

Even closer to home, Motion City Soundtrack and Brother Ali played at UW-Stout last year. And have you ever stopped to check out the inner wall of our very own Cabin? It’s decked out with signed photos of greats that have performed there, including Bill Cosby and Third Eye Blind. Where are acts of that
magnitude now?

How it can be homemade: 

The student body needs to help out the University Activities Commission in choosing the acts that we see on campus. UAC put on nearly every form of entertainment we get to experience here at Eau Claire, and they could use our help in deciding what we get to host.

Eau Claire hasn’t seen a big-name concert since OK Go in 2009, and before To Write Love On Her Arms’ Jamie Tworkowski spoke at The Forum last week, the last highly prominent Forum speaker we welcomed was Amy Goodman in 2009.

I’m just as thrilled as everyone else to see Bon Iver live on campus in December ­— it’ll be an incredible show, no doubt about it. But we need more acts like this that students can genuinely get excited about and look forward to. Such events turn Eau Claire into more than just a university, but a college experience.

I’d like to see UAC work with other UW System campuses’ similar committees to come up with lineups we can be proud of and excited for. Equally importantly, students should share with UAC their own preferences. Together, we can put on shows that make Eau Claire the place to be.

Taylor Kuether is a junior print journalism major and Editorial Editor at The Spectator.