WittFest has become one of the most anticipated annual Wittenberg events, and the 2008 edition does not figure to disappoint. The university's Union Board, a student organization that organizes WittFest each year, has secured the popular alternative rock band Cartel to headline this year's music festival, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, in Myers Hollow.
In addition to Cartel, which will take the stage at 10 p.m., WittFest features a wide range of musical offerings, from popular campus acts Just Eve, the WittMen crew, the Student Dance Company and performers from Post It!, a coffeehouse series that takes place regularly in Wittenberg's casual dining room Post 95, to local artists Nine Volt and Somewhere Between to Jake Mitchell, class of 2010 from Kents Hill, Maine, to WittFREE, a band comprised of Wittenberg professors and alums. In addition, Gabe Vitek and the Ivory, Jason LeVasseur and Ten Second Epic are paid acts that will perform prior to Cartel's concert.
Inflatable games will be set up between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and novelty attractions, including Frisbee spin art, a henna artist, a caricature artist and hair stylist, will be available between 2-6 p.m. A picnic lunch and dinner will be served by Wittenberg's dining services, and there will also be food vendors set up throughout the day.
Cartel broke onto the national music scene in 2006, a year in which the band sold nearly 250,000 copies of its debut album, gained air-time on radio and MTV, and headlined its own tour. The band released a second major-label album in 2007. Union Board Co-Presidents Kelly Eggers, class of 2009 from Rye, NY, and Casey Strawser, class of 2010 from Greenville, Ohio, said a lot of consideration went into this year's choice for headlining act.
"Union Board very much encourages student involvement in our selection, since the day is essentially for them," they said in a joint statement. "This past fall, we organized a table in the student center for a week during meal times, inviting students as they passed by to put in their suggestions for both the genre they would like for WittFest, as well as any specific suggestions they had for a band. We sent an e-mail out to campus because we wanted to hear from upperclassmen."
Based on that feedback, Union Board then compiled a list of 10 bands they believed would be the best fit. According to Eggers and Strawser, obtaining the desired band is often difficult, as the WittFest weekend is a popular one for music festivals and college concerts around the country.
"We chose Cartel because, after completing the process [of obtaining student opinions], Cartel was a band on our list that was both available and fit our budget," the statement continued. "We think Cartel is a good choice for WittFest because, from the information we gathered, students were looking for a more upbeat and fun WittFest performer this year."
Eggers and Strawser described the inclusion of campus and local acts as highlights of the day.
"We both are excited for WittFest this year because we think it will be a lot of fun," they said. "We know that Cartel will put on a great show, and we're really excited to see how it all goes.
"WIttFest is exciting for us because not only is the day about the headliner, it is also about spotlighting student talent and other forms of entertainment throughout the day and providing a fun and relaxing atmosphere before students start focusing on finals and getting ready for summer."
The rain site for WittFest is Wittenberg's Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Center.
