It’s that time of year again! The annual Loyolapalooza , which will take place on Sunday, April 24, has already begun to attract attention and noteworthy praise from the Loyola community. It’s obvious that the student body is excited about this year’s ’Palooza, especially The All-American Rejects’ highly anticipated performance. SGA’s Vice President of Social Affairs, Stephanie Maniglia, ’16, shared details on the ins and outs of planning for this year’s event.

Planning for the 2016 Loyolapalooza started back in November, when SGA began looking for its headlining act. In years past, SGA’s planning for this occasion started as late as February, so the execution of this year’s event has proved to be a relatively smooth process in comparison to year’s past.

Of course, everyone is looking forward to The All-American Rejects hitting the Loyolapalooza stage. This band was chosen because Maniglia loved the idea of having a “throwback artist” perform at the event. “I was trying to think about the vibe of ’Palooza,” Maniglia said. “It’s a hot, sunny day, finals are about to start…how do you want to feel while listening to the music? Thinking about listening to The All-American Rejects on a day like this got us really excited.” SGA also reached out to The Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind, and Smash Mouth, but because of budget, timing, and availability, they chose The All-American Rejects. So far, SGA has already received positive feedback from the Loyola community in regards to their choice of performer.

What’s also notable about this year’s Loyolapalooza is the effort that SGA has made to diversify the event. Earlier in the year, the issue of students of color facing inequality on college campuses was a problem that many schools across the country grappled with, Loyola included. Because of this, Maniglia and the rest of the SGA team wanted to ensure that every Loyola student will feel welcome and included at the 2016 Loyolapalooza.

SGA is striving to expand Loyolapalooza’s horizons in a few different ways. For example, the food served at the event won’t be the traditional carnival kind this year — popcorn, cotton candy, french fries, etc.— but cuisine from around the world. There will be egg rolls and fried rice, empanadas and nachos, Jamaican jerk chicken and rice, and Eastern European brats and pretzels. In addition to this, two different step crews, compromised of Loyola students, will be performing, and the opening musical act will feature an urban rapper named Justin Love, whose songs are currently available on You Tube, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. Paradise Creek, the winner of Battle of the Bands at Relay for Life, will also be performing as an opening act at Palooza.

This year, another brand new addition to Loyolapalooza will be the presence of Baltimore Integration Partnership (BIP), an organization that works to enhance Baltimore’s business culture. There will be a “vendor village” present, where students can purchase local products that they may not be able to buy outside of the Baltimore region. For example, exclusive wallets, purses, cutting boards, and other goods made from reusable materials will be sold.

Sustainability has been a common theme of Loyolapalooza in years past, and 2016 won’t be any different. All of the plates, napkins, and cutlery will be compostable, there will be absolutely no soda cans, and the first 1,000 students who show up to the event will receive a free reusable water bottle. With this, SGA strives to continue making Loyolapalooza a zero waste event.

The event coordinators are just as excited about the event as the rest of campus. “I’m just really excited to see the Loyola community together, especially students who may have not felt welcome at the event in the past,” Manigilia said. When Loyolapalooza rolls around in a few short weeks, students will have the opportunity to forget about final exams, grades, and even graduation for some – they’ll simply have a day to enjoy with their friends.

Feature Image: Samantha Roeller Photo, Courtesy of Loyola University Maryland.