DanceBlue admirably leads students in service

Letter to Editor by Shannon Frazer

Thousands of UK students enjoyed the smooth music of Jason Mraz last spring in his sold-out Student Activities Board-sponsored concert.

Thursday I joined the crowd as another feel-good artist won over UK students with his campus appearance.

Eric Hutchinson performed in the Grand Ballroom at the Student Center in support of DanceBlue, the annual 24-hour dance marathon tradition that has become a mainstay in the university and Lexington’s fight against childhood cancer.

On stage Hutchinson acknowledged that perhaps he isn’t as well known as some artists who have visited UK before, but the great cause and fun atmosphere were reasons for him to put on the show.

I confess I hadn’t heard of the singer-songwriter prior to the concert, but I enjoyed myself as his music encouraged listeners to clap their hands and put smiles on their faces. Hutchinson’s refreshing style is hard to define, but I’ll agree that critics’ classification of “folk pop” is pretty accurate.

Even when the song lyrics weren’t familiar, the likeable tunes helped Thursday’s audience catch on quickly. His final song, “Rock & Roll,” especially was a hit among concert attendees.

I admire UK student organizations’ initiative in hosting entertaining events and simultaneously helping out a worthy cause. It makes me proud to be a Wildcat.

I’m confident the Eric Hutchinson concert was successful in raising awareness for the DanceBlue campaign and marathon on March, and I’m excited to see what other charity endeavors are to come.

In the five years DanceBlue has been around, UK students have had a major impact on the UK Hospital’s pediatric oncology clinic patients, and it’s great to know all of that effort is for the kids.

Shannon Frazer

journalism senior