Prospective students hailed from all over the country to a campus filled with clear skies, warm temperatures, and music reverberating throughout campus from the second annual Bison Sound music festival on April 16. The festival coincided with Admitted Students Day and ran from 4-9 p.m. on Sojka Lawn, where roughly 1,500 people attended. The event was sponsored by the Campus Activities and Programs (CAP) Center, and a student committee helped plan and organize the event.

“Being an intern and a student ambassador in the Office of Admissions, I think [Bison Sound] impacted Admitted Students Day in a positive way. It helped to showcase some of the bigger events Bucknell hosts for its students. The prospective students hear about the big events that are held on campus during their tours, but it is completely different when they actually see the event in full force,” Stacey Carpency ’16 said.

“Working with admissions and Admitted Students Day is just a win-win across the broad. This allows current students to relax after a busy day of engaging our new students, while providing our new students an idea of the types of programs we put on here at Bucknell. I had a number of prospective students and their families come up and ask questions about Bison Sound and how students get the opportunity to perform,” Director of Campus Activities and Programs Mike Duignan said.

With final exams looming around the corner, Bison Sound provided students the opportunity to relax, spend time outside, and enjoy free food, all while experiencing new music.

The committee brought professional groups to campus, including Busty and the Bass, Koa, and Dylan St. John. The festival also featured student performers, who were selected through an open casting call, and included Lara Murray ’16, the TKE Band, Izayah Haze & Treybay, Theory, 3 Piece Suit, and Elias ChonChon. Incorporating student performers allowed fellow students to appreciate the skills of their peers while also allowing aspiring performers to put their name out there.

“My favorite part of the festivities were the performers as a whole. Especially Busty and the Bass; by the time they went on there were only 20 or so people around, so it was kind of like a private concert. It was the perfect storm of a good time: an even mix of performers, great weather, and greasy food,” performer Jackson Pierce-Felker ’18 said.

“I loved the live music, particularly Izayah Haze & Treybay. I just love their rhymes and thought they infused the early part of Bison Sound with great energy,” Sam Jacobson ’17 said.

In the past, the University has hosted a Spring Concert featuring a notable artist.

“I think that Bison Sound is a successful replacement to the Spring Concert. Although Bison Sound doesn’t bring in a big name artist that the concert did, it brings in a bunch of smaller artists and gives students the option of hearing a variety of styles,” Carpency said.

In an effort to improve from last year and incentivize students to attend, the committee awarded the Greek organization with the most attendees a donation to their chosen philanthropy.

Students can look forward to some minor changes and improvements for next year’s Bison Sound.

“Next year, I think we should step up the advertising.  In my opinion, people get more excited about a face on a poster, not just a name. It’d be cool to have some bigger names there as well,” Pierce-Felker said.

“I hope to continue to build on the success of past years while focusing on smoothing out the process and scheduling of the event. I feel we are moving towards this but still have some areas of growth,” Duignan said.

“Overall I thought the whole event was a success and I can’t wait for next year,” Kelly Pretz ’18 said.

“I think it was a success. People at the event seemed to be enjoying themselves. Student artists got some great exposure to the rest of campus. Jolly good times all around,” Jacobson said.