Dear Editor,

It should be difficult to criticize something you didn’t actually participate in, which is what Randy Brachman does in his column, “Wash. U. Gone W.I.L.D.” (Oct. 15). Apparently this doesn’t hold true for Team 31’s fall W.I.L.D. concert two weekends ago. It seems as though the most vocal critics of the production didn’t actually participate…aside from hearing that the free Chipotle had run out…and hearing that the concert itself wasn’t that great.

More appalling than making such a harsh judgment based on the “general consensus” of others may be the judgment that “rap…is not really something you can immediately get into.” Sure, rap music isn’t for everyone. No genre of music is pleasant to everyone. But Team 31 has (over the years) done a remarkable job of bringing musicians to campus that will please a variety of tastes. One should refrain from judging music based on the perceived popularity of a musician or group. I have yet to hear of a correlation between presence of pages and concert performance.

Team 31 did, in fact, bring to campus two of the most popular rappers of today. As far as I know, those familiar with the genre appreciated Team 31’s efforts. Those unfamiliar with this particular genre of music had an opportunity to step outside of their comfort zones, experience something different and witness why these musicians are appreciated for their contributions to the music community. Choosing not to take advantage of that opportunity does not amount to a bad W.I.L.D. in any sense. It simply represents a sense of narrow-mindedness that many campus organizations, including Team 31, are attempting to erode.

Monica Smith
Class of 2011