Editorial : Student behavior to determine tastefulness of Juice Jam on 9/11
University Union’s decision to schedule its beloved and growing fall concert Juice Jam on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 has drawn mild criticism from students for being in poor taste. Upon confirmation in July of the controversial performance date, UU began planning ways to incorporate a tribute to 9/11 into the Sunday concert.
Unfortunately, an electronic concert on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 at a college campus will provide the perfect space for disrespectful behavior. The degree of distastefulness at Juice Jam will depend little on UU, but rather on the maturity and prerogative of Syracuse University students to enjoy themselves without becoming belligerent or obnoxious.
Due to football season and scheduling conflicts, UU officials said they faced a decision between holding the concert on 9/11 or not at all. In an ideal world, UU should never have scheduled Juice Jam on a date that this campus should have reserved solely for memorial events and community service. But ultimately, UU did the best it could with a sensitive situation, and The Daily Orange supports its suggestion of participating in Juice Jam’s charity events and leaving early for those who find an electro concert in poor taste.
In recent years, music and concerts have proved a powerful tool in bringing students from wide-ranging backgrounds together, and a concert offers the perfect way to unite the maximum students together on 9/11’s anniversary. The real issue lies in the style of music.
Country music may not sit at the top of everyone’s genre of choice, but its omnipresence at patriotic events lies in its reflective and haunting nature. On the other hand, electro is born from the need for mindless escape. Avicii, while a popular and otherwise well-received DJ, will not provide the appropriate soundtrack to the 10th anniversary of the single greatest attack on American soil in students’ lifetimes. The nature of electronic music poorly facilitates somber reflection.
Turning Juice Jam into a tribute event for 9/11 will succeed if students take the charity portion of this day seriously: Donate canned food and sell out the concert to support local food banks.
But most importantly, when students crack their first beer Sunday afternoon, they must remember the date. Remember Department of Public Safety officers and emergency workers will sacrifice this anniversary to make sure you’re safe; remember that thousands of Americans, some of them your classmates, lost loved ones in this tragic day 10 years ago. And if UU decides to hold a moment of silence, make sure you’re in a state of mind to respect that silence.
