Daily Vidette – Aug 22 8:48 PM
Once again, the University Program Board will be sponsoring the Weekly Wednesday Lunchtime Special in The Bird’s Nest located in the Bone Student Center.
The program will feature many local artists as well as nationally touring singers and songwriters. It will take place every Wednesday from 11 AM to 1 PM and is free to the public.
Emily Villhauer, UPB advisor and specialist for programming with the dean of students office, said she is very excited about the upcoming entertainment.
“It’s a minimal program but it gives a great opportunity to showcase students and local performers,” she said.
ISU students and other local performers are invited to show off their talents at the events also.
“If students are interested in performing either for an hour or the whole two hours, they can fill out an application that’s available on the UPB website or they can stop in the UPB office and fill out an application and drop off a demo,” Villhauer said.
The first few weeks include nationally touring singer and songwriter Shevy Smith on Aug. 22 and ISU student Jason Fingh with special guest Dave Degoyeer on Aug. 30.
Smith has performed at ISU in the past and has always been a favorite among students.
“She did great,” Redbird Entertainment Committee Chair Person Kevin Parkinson said.
“She’s been here twice before. The students that attend her events really seem to enjoy her music,” Villhauer said.
The Lunchtime Special is returning for its second semester at ISU. This year the program will focus more on local performers.
“Last year we did more national artists, we did about half national and half local, and this year the students decided they wanted to really give an opportunity for local students or musicians to showcase their talents,” Villhauer said.
“Students really like the national acts so we kept two,” Parkinson said. In addition to Smith, the second national act will be Michael Warren who will be performing in December.
Fingh, who will be performing on Aug. 30, is very excited about his second appearance in The Bird’s Nest. The sophomore mathematics major played during the Lunchtime Special last spring.
He will be performing with Degoyeer who also plays guitar and sings.
“I write a lot of contemporary Christian music but I also do a lot of covers, so I’ll be doing both,” Fingh said.
The program has been very successful and seems to be a perfect fit for ISU.
“Once the new area opened upstairs with the Burger King and Pizza Hut, they put in this new lounge furniture and they built a little stage up there. It was kind of just a perfect place to do something weekly. We’ve heard of other programs at other schools that have gone really well doing a weekly showcase of student performers,” Villhauer said.
“The room is now wired for sound as well, so it’s got permanent speakers in there. It’s an easy place to move the necessary sound equipment like the mixing board. We can move that in, do this and then be out within three hours.”
Burger King and Pizza Hut are both open with normal prices throughout the events but spectators are not required to buy any food in order to watch the performers. Outside food is also welcome in the lounge.
UPB has been taking applications over the summer and will continue taking them throughout the year. They have plenty of open dates and they urge students to sign up. Their office is located on the bottom level of the Bone Student Center and their website is programboard.ilstu.edu.
