FallFest 2017

Starting with FallFest in 2017, I took on additional responsibilities. Since our previous President was out on a co-op, I moved up into the role of President of Clarkson Union Board (CUB), which means I coordinate the two annual concerts. It was a great learning experience, and it gave me a very different perspective on an event I thought I was pretty familiar with. One of the other advantages of coordinating the concerts is a lot of my work is done well in advance and usually doesn’t involve lifting heavy things (although I usually end up getting my hands dirty anyways). My role was to facilitate choosing an artist, working with the University to make sure all the contracts get signed, and making sure everything runs smoothly on the day of the show.

Another major change for me was that since I was the President of CUB, I passed down the title of Lighting Chair. I had to make sure that the new LC was familiar with all of our equipment, including our brand new lighting console. I think it’s hard to teach someone how to do lighting outside of the technical aspect and “make sure you can see the performers” because there is a large amount of creativity in lighting. I try to match the mood of the song on stage, and to an extent the lighting designer is a member of the band because they contribute to the overall experience. Fortunately, the person who took over the LC position had been shadowing me over the year prior, so he had a pretty good grasp on the technical aspect. There are times that I wish I could go back to running lights, but I think moving to a coordination role was a great opportunity.

Photo credit: Connor Koehler, connorphoto.com