When my freshman year self got to experience Flo Milli, A Boogie, Travis Scott, Drake, Lil Wayne, Freddie Gibbs, Sexyy Redd, and Dayglow live on campus, I was elated. Those acts sparked my passion for concerts and set the expectation that my next three years at Penn State would be teeming with opportunities to see my favorite artists without even leaving State College. But now, as a junior, that expectation has quickly faded.

My sophomore year started strong with a hype welcome-back concert from Swae Lee, organized by Penn State’s Student Programming Association (SPA). Unfortunately, the excitement stopped there. I bought tickets to see a joint show featuring Lil Yachty and NLE Choppa at the Bryce Jordan Center in September, but it turned out to be one of the weakest performances I’ve ever seen after Lil Yachty abruptly ended his set early in response to the crowd throwing things toward the stage. Sure, I regret not going to see Kacey Musgraves in early September or GloRilla and Waka Flocka Flame in April, but beyond those few names, that was just about all that was offered throughout the course of my second year at Penn State.

This year, SPA brought in Quavo for its annual Lights Up concert, which I appreciated. But since then, the only other major act offered has been Parker McCollum, and country music isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Going from superstar names like Drake, Travis Scott, and even Luke Combs to barely offering anyone at all has been nothing short of disappointing.

The truth is, State College’s isolation makes entertainment options limited. With the closest major cities hours away, it’s tough to find unique, engaging experiences, especially for students without vehicles. As someone who has attended 27 live performances in my 20 years, I can attest to how costly it can be to travel for concerts. Most students simply can’t afford those expenses. Bringing in popular artists to the Bryce Jordan Center and other local venues not only gives students unforgettable memories with friends from the comfort of our own university, but it also draws people to State College. I know this firsthand, having met two guys who went to Pitt and Florida Southern College on the floor of Travis Scott’s 2024 BJC concert.

I’m not asking the BJC to book chart-topping artists every week, but with a student body of over 50,000, Penn State deserves a stronger emphasis on bringing in big-name artists. The antsy feeling while waiting in the TicketMaster queue, the frantic coordination of outfits, and the aesthetic Instagram dumps all fuel an energetic buzz around campus and create a sense of community that has always made Happy Valley special.