After a few weeks back in Happy Valley, it is safe to say that new students are adjusting to campus life, and returning students have had a chance to get back into the swing of things. Now that we’re all “moved in,” what better way to kick off the school year with a free concert on campus?
Last Friday, Sept. 7, Penn State hosted the first ever Movin’ In event, a free concert available to all students.
For returning students, this was an opportunity to relive the glory days of the annual Movin’ On music festival from this past spring, and for new students, it was a sneak peek at what is to come in the spring of 2019. The concert was announced via various social media platforms about two weeks before the event, and excitement quickly rose over State College. This was likely because of both the well-known artists and the fact that it was a brand new event that had never been done before.
VALLEY sat down with Phoebe Millspaugh, executive director of Movin’ On 2019, to learn more about what went into the creation and execution of the event.
The announcement of the concert came as a bit of a surprise to many Penn State students, but this event has actually been in the works since the spring 2018 semester, Millspaugh tells VALLEY. Going from planning a music festival to then planning a concert after is no easy task, but the Movin’ On team was still able to host a successful event this past Friday.
“As a team, we worked tirelessly over the summer to launch this event,” Millspaugh says. “Student Affairs actually pitched this idea to us after the continued success of Movin’ On as a way to engage new students as well as returners in a night of free entertainment on campus.”
The artists brought to campus were definitely worth writing home about, with popular rap artist T-Pain and up-and-coming group Go Go Gadjet taking the stage. With the great following that these artists have, it was no surprise that this event turned out to be so well-received by the student body.
All of the hard work done by the Movin’ On team paid off; between 6,000 and 7,000 students made their way to the HUB Lawn last Friday, an impressive statistic given that the event is brand new and took place the night before one of the most traveled-to away football games.
Now that the event is over, there is talk as to whether Movin’ In will return for 2019. Based on how well-attended the event was, it is possible that there will once again be an exciting music event on campus next fall.
“Continuation of the event is definitely in discussion after seeing how successful the event was,” Millspaugh says.
Looking ahead, Movin’ On 2019 will likely take place as it typically does in late April, making it the perfect way to close out the school year! Be sure to follow Movin’ On on Twitter and Instagram, @psumovinon, to stay up-to-date!
If you or someone you know is looking to get more involved, Movin’ On is currently taking applications for their CORE committee until this Friday, Sept. 14. All information can be found at http://www.movinon.org !
Did you attend Movin’ In 2018? Tag us in your pictures on Instagram, @VALLEYmag!
