I would like the opportunity to give credit where credit is due.
In your August 31 issue, you wrote both a news story and a Voice article about Borderline: A Music Festival (BAMF), which took place August 25. While both were efficiently informative, they also both gave the majority of credit for planning and execution to ACBU. At one point in the Voice article, you congratulate ACBU for putting on a good show and tell them to keep up the good work. You also give credit to Brave Sounds Entertainment for choosing the musical lineup to be featured at the show.
I would like to make it known that ACBU, while a primary collaborator, did not conceive the idea for BAMF. The first plans for the festival were in fact made by the new music organization +music, spearheaded by students Ryan Gould, Christian Lyon, and Shane Bradley.
These three gentlemen wanted to bring a diverse group of musicians to campus so Bradley students could sample different sounds and musical tastes that are not prominent to central Illinois. I know this because last spring, when the festival plans were in their infancy, I assisted Ryan (a good friend of mine) in proofreading and preparing the proposal that he and the other +music members would give to ACBU to bring this musical event to fruition. ACBU accepted, and the two organizations worked with Brave Sounds Entertainment to put the plans into motion, creating the event we saw this fall.
It should also be known that, while helpful in bringing the featured bands to campus, Brave Sounds Entertainment had no part of choosing the music lineup – this was also chosen by Ryan and the +music gang.
While ACBU and Brave Sounds Entertainment worked hard on BAMF (and I commend them greatly for their work), the event would not have been possible without the work of +music, and they deserve more credit than the one brief mention made of them in the paper. As a senior, I have seen the Scout make these kinds of mistakes many times, where credit is misplaced and important facts are either overlooked or ignored.
I am a former journalism major and I know the importance of accurate reporting. Scout writers, please do your research before publishing articles that are misleading. It hurt me not to see my friends’ names or organization truly acknowledged for their work – I can’t imagine how disappointed they must feel.
– Senior English major Liz Scoville