Homecoming selection process garners confusion

Mechelle Hankerson
Assistant Spectrum Editor

VCU sophomore Marlyne Hamilton wanted to exercise her privilege as a VCU student to vote for Homecoming entertainment this year through the Homecoming Committee’s Facebook voting page.

Hamilton voted for her favorite artists from the list, Kid Cudi and Travie McCoy. Other atrtists that were up for the vote included Owl City, Wiz Khalifa, and 3OH!3.

Though Hamilton didn’t think much about the voting process, she said she was a bit confused once the committee announced that Wale and J. Cole – voted second and fourth, respectively – would be performing at the Homecoming concert on Jan. 29.

“It seemed like Kid Cudi was close to the top,” Hamilton said. Confused about the process the committee used, Hamilton posted her concern on the Facebook event page of the Homecoming concert.

The Homecoming comittee began by polling students during the summer and events like the Fall SOVO fair and First Ram Friday. The list they complied had over 50 artists, and the committee made a list with students’ top picks.

The poll that followed narrowed the lit to 10 artists, which was the final vote for students.

Once the top artist has been picked, the committee contacted the artist’s management to check availability and price.

The committee had budgeted $52,000 for entertainment this year, and spokespersons for the committee maintain that considering price and schedule, Wale and J. Cole were the choices best suited for the event.

“I don’t understand why they would ask us who we wanted when they couldn’t really get those people at all,” Hamilton said.

“Some people … thought someone else was in first place and asked why they (that artist) couldn’t come,” volunteer chair Paula Wallace said.

:A lot of people just don’t understand that we do listen to the students,” Wallace said.” But we also have a budget and have to consider the artist’s availability and things that the artist is going through.”

“I feel like their process is a little backwards,” Hamilton said. “They took three or four polls before they came to a final conclusion, but they didn’t research until the last one.”

Hamilton said that she thought that the committee should have done research earlier than the final poll.

“I feel like, sometime in the middle … they should do the research and poll us for people they know they can afford, and they know can come so it feels like our votes count for something that will actually happen,” Hamilton said.

“From what I heard, people enjoyed the process that we used,” said Marketing Director for Homecoming 2011, Avery Jones. “People (Students) were able to give their opinion.”

“I feel like it’s a very effective process,” Jones said.” When planning for homecoming, this is a good process to do.”