A rowdy crowd, a frail stage, and miscommunication led to a short but memorable GirlTalk performance at last year’s Harvard-Yale pep rally. The event, which precedes the annual Harvard-Yale football game, was shut down by HUPD for safety reasons, and DJ GirlTalk was forced to exit the stage early as the crowd continued to push against the weak stage. It was the first time the College Events Board had brought in a big name artist for the pep rally, and it may well be the last. This year, CEB has wisely decided to return to a more traditional format by having student groups perform—making the pep rally more Harvard focused.

Though the event might not attract such a sizeable crowd this year, the decision was good, given current circumstances. The CEB’s budget has shrunk due to the financial crisis, and hence, it cannot afford to pay for a professional artist. In addition, its funds would be better spent on Yardfest in the spring, anyway, since that event draws more students and is generally more enjoyable given the better weather. Booking an appealing artist for Yardfest should be CEB’s priority.

Allowing student groups to perform at the pep rally in place of a big name performer is also a great way to showcase student talent. The Harvard focus of this more traditional format will help to foster more school spirit. CEB chair Kevin M. Mee ’10 has alluded to this: “I definitely think we would’ve moved in this direction, anyway, towards focusing back on the core focus of a pep rally, which was lost a little bit last year.”

Of course, student behavior at last year’s pep rally might have also influenced the CEB’s decision. We would not be surprised if this was a large factor in the decision to alter the format of this year’s pep rally. CEB was subject to close scrutiny and criticism last year after the GirlTalk fiasco. It would be hard to blame CEB for wanting to avoid putting itself in such a situation again.

Nevertheless, the new format is welcome especially for making the event more Harvard themed and for showcasing student talent. We look forward to a safe, fun event before the game.