Didn’t like the concert? Blame the Programs Activity Council (PAC). Don’t feel like every second of the day is filled with overwhelming joy and excitement? Blame PAC. Failing in your classes? There’s probably an inventive way to make that PAC’s fault also. After all, how hard could it possibly be to please everybody all the time?
Really hard, actually. In fact it’s impossible to make everyone happy. Trying to do so can drive a person insane. Yet that is what PAC tries to do, which is probably why they are finishing the year with their third PAC chair. The first two resigned.
Who can blame the previous two PAC chairs for resigning? You know, apart from ungrateful people that think PAC should cater specifically to their needs? It’s a stressful job to try your hardest and see everyone hate you anyway. Not everyone can do that, and PAC chairs should be applauded for making the effort.
The effort can be seen by PAC’s consistent efforts to get more feedback from students. Recently, PAC held an interest night and invited all students to come get involved. Approximately six people cared enough to show up. It takes effort to get involved. It’s much easier to complain.
Case in point: the spring concert. There’s been a lot of shade thrown PAC’s way about it. Some of it even came from within The Criterion. That’s simply because we are not big fans of stifling opinions or voices. It’s not however, because we blame PAC.
Every year PAC goes through difficult procedures to sign artists willing to work within the limited budget available. This might come as a huge shock, but big name artists are not exactly inclined to drop their rates to perform in Grand Junction.
Every year PAC reaches out to the students to see what kind of music they want to hear. The last two years the students wanted rap. So PAC gave them rap. The last two years there’s been a lot of complaining about the artists PAC provided.
If you ask your parents for a car and they give you a car, for free, don’t whine because it wasn’t a Ferrari. PAC provided what they could and students didn’t have to pay to get in. It’s just such a tragedy it couldn’t be Snoop Dogg or Eminem. Fortunately, students can go to those concerts; on their own dime.
Maybe it’s time to stop whining about what we got and start appreciating that we got anything at all. Frankly, most students probably do. The concert was heavily attended last year and this year’s concert almost matched it.
As usual, then, it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. All that gets heard are the complaints, and so that’s where all the attention goes. We wish this editorial will help get the whiners to stop whining so much, but that’s not particularly likely.
Since complaints are likely to keep rolling in, how about we combat them with our own voices of positivity and gratitude? We’ll start. Great job, PAC. Keep up the good work. The Criterion stands with you.
