By Trena Allen
Music filled the air on campus for the fourth annual March Music Madness Arts and Music Festival on March 12. Students enjoyed themselves and raised money for High 5 Drive.
Six hours of melodies lingered through the campus corridors including smooth tunes from guitars to bumping bases from rappers.
Many local artists performed including the band Irie. The bass player Harley Swisher, CSN student, said she likes playing at venues like this to gain more exposure for the band. “We want new people to listen to our music.” Additionally she likes performing at this festival to bring awareness to an important issue: homeless students at CSN.
Approximately 100 students attended to enjoy music and festivities, which included inflatable party jumpers and food.
CSN’s student government ASCSN helped plan the event with Office of Technology Services.
Jonathan “Streetz” Paya was the host of this year’s event. “I wanted to do something for and with the students.”
“I worked with ASCSN in 2011 to 2012 and together we created March Music Madness,” Paya said. “Student Government has a vested interest in continuing the tradition.”
William McCurdy II, president of ASCSN, was at the event.
“So far we’re just talking to students and doing some outreach and also trying to encourage them to come out and… release some stress,” McCurdy said. “We are trying to increase campus life and also get students to hang out and mix and mingle a bit.”
The goal of March Music Madness is to raise money for the High 5 Drive. It is sponsored by the students, staff and faculty of CSN and by Silver State Schools Credit Union to raise funds for the Youthful Enterprise Scholarship.
The money that is raised goes to support CSN students from the Shade Tree, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and HELP of Southern Nevada Shannon West Homeless Youth Center.
According to their mission statements, Shade Tree helps women, children and their pets affected by domestic violence. Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth helps homeless teens by providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. HELP of Southern Nevada Shannon West Homeless Youth Center provides aid for at-risk youths including substance abuse counseling, mental health referrals, educational assessment and vocational training.
Students must be enrolled in at least three credits per term, meet financial-need requirements and be a resident of Nevada to apply for the scholarship. They must also be receiving assistance from a registered homeless service agency including the three noted above. With a letter of recommendation from the agency, students can apply for Youthful Enterprise Scholarship funds.
For more information click this link http://www.csn.edu/high5drive.
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 