Penn State announced Saturday Blake Shelton will be the headliner for Beaver Stadium’s first-ever concert, dubbed Happy Valley Jam. The 2012 Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year will be joined by Chris Young, Big & Rich, David Ray, and Adley Stump. But is Shelton the best artist to play Beaver Stadium for the first time? Three of our staffers way in on the decision.

Blake is a great choice – Emilie Dormer

Blake Shelton is a great choice for Beaver Stadium’s Happy Valley Jam. I’ve been listening to country since I was five years old and started going to country concerts in high school. Country concerts are about 1,000 times more fun outdoors, in the summer, with the sunshine beating down on you, and a cold drink in your hand.

Blake Shelton has 17 number one hits since 2001 and he’s timeless and can appeal to many different age groups. He’s won “The Voice” four out of ten seasons, thus proving his true musical talent.  He’s also accompanied by Chris Young and Big & Rich, and all three appeal to both the younger and older country music fans, drawing a larger crowd than just a rock concert or a different genre.

Happy Valley needs more traffic in the summer, and this Centre County concert will appeal to both students and locals. Blake Shelton is also known for his sarcastic, goofy personality as shown on “The Voice”) and is a true performer. This is a concert that I certainly will not want to miss.

It just makes sense – Elissa Hill

Even if you hate country music, you can’t deny Blake Shelton is a smart choice to headline Beaver Stadium’s inaugural Happy Valley Jam. Probably more than half of the radio stations in my Central PA hometown play strictly country music, and that’s no coincidence. No matter what reputation “Pennsyltucky” has, the redneck country music stereotype sometimes rings true. For a concert this big, Penn State administrators knew they needed to bring in an act who could draw a crowd.

If you still can’t stomach the thought of going to a country concert, think of it as a pregame for Arts Fest, which starts less than a week later. This is the excuse you’ve been looking for to tailgate in Happy Valley sometime between the Blue-White game and the beginning of the regular football season.

Whhhyyyyyy? – Sara Civian

As a huge rap fan and a country hater, I’d be asking myself the same question if the headliner was a rapper. Country is one of the most divisive genres of all. Yes, Penn State is in an area where a lot of people love it, but I always like to think of Penn State as a more diverse bubble in central PA. I was expecting some classic rock or top 40 pop — anything a little more generally liked.

When I found out there’d be a concert in Beaver Stadium, I was so ready to battle it out on Ticketmaster for a ticket. Now, I can’t justify spending money on Blake Shelton. I don’t hate him personally or anything, but I’m just not a fan. Penn State should’ve picked an artist from a more universally-liked genre for such a big concert. It makes me wish Bruce Springsteen didn’t already play in the BJC so recently so maybe he’d be considered. The list of better choices for this concert goes on.