Since the formation of Social Programming Board in 2013, the group has taken steps to improve W.I.L.D. each semester as it gains clout as an organization. This spring’s show marks one of SPB’s largest accomplishments to date—booking big-name headliner Childish Gambino instead of spotlighting multiple lesser-known artists, as happened last spring and fall in the hopes of transitioning W.I.L.D. from a concert to a mini music festival, complete with Lollapalooza-esque boxed water.

Although W.I.L.D. has a history of showcasing artists before they become famous—like Outkast, as we’ve all heard on tours—bringing in an already-established performer appeals to student preferences. The last few W.I.L.D.s, featuring the likes of Wolfgang Gartner and Chance the Rapper, haven’t exactly thrilled students, so when SPB channeled WUStock and solicited student opinion for the first time in anticipation of this W.I.L.D., we became hopeful for an improved event. This poll found that Childish Gambino was the most requested artist, and luckily, SPB was able to land him. Consequently, students are excited this spring not only for the opportunity to drink like they go to a state school but also to do so while jamming to one of rap’s smartest talents. Childish Gambino is a talented and lively performer, and we have high hopes that his show will be more engaging than, say, Chance the Rapper’s dull, uninspiring performance.

To maintain current student enthusiasm for upcoming W.I.L.D.s, SPB should continue this trend and consider sending out a survey during the summer to gauge student interest for fall W.I.L.D. Allowing students a voice in the decision-making process will contribute to increased satisfaction and greater support for SPB.

Earlier this semester, the social-media-savvy SPB held a contest for a meet-and-greet with Childish Gambino, ensuring that students continue to interact with the organization and growing its digital presence. In the past, SPB opted to link W.I.L.D. reveals with benchmark likes and follows on Facebook and Twitter, and true to form, for this contest, students gained more entries by following SPB’s Twitter account, tweeting at SPB and following SPB on Instagram, among others. SPB’s effort has paid off—the social media response has been overwhelming, showing the enormous student interest for Friday’s concert.

While SPB has thrived in management and development, music diversity has yet to be overtly addressed. Hip-hop groups and rappers have had a disproptionately large representation at W.I.L.D. of late. SPB should build on its student-input success by offering options in a wide array of musical genres. But based off of SPB’s semesterly improvement, we have every confidence it will continue upping its game with every W.I.L.D. going forward.