st has promoted male headliners. While certainly enjoyable and fitting the reputable scene of a day of drunken activities, I’ve found myself wondering: has Wittfest ever had a female headliner? And if Wittfest hasn’t featured a female artist, why not?
While doing some research and reaching out to members of Union Board, I have been unable to come up with any female headliners. Instead, at least for the past five years, Wittfest has been dominated by male performances.
Although I’ve never really cared much about who was performing for Wittfest, having no idea who Hoodie Allen and 3OH!3 were, I’ve been able to enjoy the concerts, melding into the feel of the concert crowd.
However, I’m left with a major wonder: why hasn’t Wittfest featured a female headliner?
During my freshman year, Union Board sent out a survey to students which asked whom the student body would like to see featured at Wittfest. My roommate was ecstatic, making sure that she noted Fifth Harmony as her number one choice.
Being that Wittfest featured Allen, it’s obvious that Fifth Harmony wasn’t chosen. I wouldn’t say that my roommate was devastated, but she was certainly scrambling to figure out who Allen was and whether his music was worth listening to.
With B.o.B.’s rescinded invitation looming over Wittenberg these past two weeks, many have been quick to add suggestions for a new headliner, many with high hopes of Jesse McCartney and other male artists. So: where are all of the female suggestions?
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t typically go to Wittfest for the music; I go for the environment: to be surrounded by my peers, all of us having a grand time. But this year, I’m seeking something different. I want an artist I am going to enjoy, vocals that aren’t just senseless mumbling and an experience I will want to be mildly sober for.
I’d like to acknowledge that Wittfest is indeed another day for students to get drunk on campus, a way to celebrate the end of a year of hard work. This means that students, on average, don’t go to Wittfest for the music. Regardless of who is performing, students will come and they will jump up and down, ecstatic for the headliner performance.
Union Board, I’m sure, is going to pick another male headliner or a male-focused band, but I’m encouraging them to consider a female headliner in the future. Sure, it might not be the environment that many have grown accustomed to experiencing, but I think it’s a necessary switch up that should be considered.
Female artists are just as powerful as male artists, many with booming yet soothing voices, providing a concert that calls for more intimacy and more meaning than much of what a potential male rap artist can give for Wittfest; the male rap artist becoming the norm for a Wittfest performer.
And who knows, featuring a female headliner might actually encourage students to enjoy the concert without the influence of alcohol.
