While hundreds of students get their passports stamped as they travel overseas this fall, thousands of students are left behind in Searcy. Fortunately, the Campus Activities Board released a new version of the PASS, called “Passport,” as well as announcing the bands that will perform on campus this fall.
The Campus Passport, a new version of the PASS, allows access to all events on campus as well as discounts and benefits at local businesses.
Among the many concerts students can attend with the Campus.Passport, Pentatonix is expected to draw the largest crowd. Pentatonix, an a capella group that won last year’s third and final season of The Sing-Off, will visit Harding’s campus on Oct. 23.
“Students have been really excited about it to the point where I’m considering changing venues because we have so many people that want to go,” said Logan Light, director of the Campus Activities Board.
The show was originally scheduled to take place in the Administration Auditorium, but may be changed to the Benson as a result of excessive interest.
“I’m looking forward to Pentatonix, not just because of their sound, but to see how Harding reacts,” said junior Reid Belew, a public relations assistant for CAB. “A lot of students here grew up on acapella music, and this is an incredible new approach to the genre.”
In addition to Pentatonix, Ben Rector will return to campus on Oct. 11, and Eric Hutchinson on Nov. 30. This semester, CAB has intentionally booked several shows that will fit into a smaller venue rather than packing the Benson with a well-known name that might attract a larger yet more specific demographic.
“We have so many different types of people here at Harding,” Light said. “I want to make sure every one of them feels like they have an option to be entertained and it’s harder to please more people with one big show than it is with several smaller shows.”
While a large concert may attract a greater number of people, several smaller shows engage students consistently throughout the year and appeal to people with wide varieties of personalities and interests.
“Some of my favorite CAB concerts were ones I never expected to enjoy, like The Belle Brigade last fall,” junior Breana Josephson said. “So I’m looking forward to hearing some new music and attending more concerts throughout the semester instead of one big concert.”
The Campus Passport will also reward students for attending events such as movies, plays, musicals, Spring Sing and more.
Students who purchase the Passport will receive a stamp at each event they attend, with the ultimate goal of reaching the third of three tiers.
Once you get 30, 60 and 100 stamps, you reach the first, second and third tiers, respectively.
A Campus Passport holder will always receive benefits no matter what level they have reached, Light said.
By reaching the first tier, students can earn discounts at several local businesses.
“The Campus Passport is an incentive-based program that hopefully is encouraging students to attend events … by giving them the opportunity to earn discounts at local businesses,” Light said.
In addition, once students reach the last tier, they are entered in a drawing to receive entry into a free international program.
“The prize is priceless,” Belew said. “The prize for the winner of the drawing gets a life-altering three months, and all you have to do is walk a few hundred feet out of your dorm.”
