By Christina Soto | Broadcast Managing Editor
All-University Sing is one of Baylor’s most popular traditions and has been around for the last 65 years. Sing is unique every year, and if you miss it, you will never be able to watch and experience that show again. Parents, students, faculty and alumni all make their way to Waco to watch the performance. The demand for Sing tickets is so high that this year, the first round of tickets sold out the day they went on sale.
Sometimes people are not able to make it to Waco to watch the show and therefore will never be able to experience a complete Sing performance for that year. Those people would only be able to watch the top eight performances if they attended Pigskin Revue in the fall.
I believe Sing should be recorded and sold on DVD. This way, parents and alumni who can’t make the show will be able to watch their loved ones’ performances. Selling the performances on DVD also provides an opportunity for performers to own a lifelong memory. Participants work extremely hard on their performances, and it should be an experience they are able to tangibly cherish forever.
These performances can be archived and historically documented for people to watch and learn from. Sing chairs are constantly looking back to see what themes have been executed in the past. Having an archive of all past Sing performances would be beneficial for Sing chairs to learn from.
Several years ago, Student Productions did sell DVDs, but they discontinued distributing them to avoid copyright issues. Student Productions claims it cannot sell DVDs because it would potentially make a profit off of something that that does not belong to them. Since Baylor does not own the songs used for the show, it is unethical for them to sell the performance and make a profit off of songs that are not theirs.
Student Productions should look further into this dilemma because it will allow more people in the Baylor community to enjoy a beloved tradition. I would recommend contacting schools who have performances like Sing and see how they address this issue. I would also recommend getting in contact with a copyright lawyer who may have insight and suggestions on what to do in a situation like this. Perhaps the price of DVDs could exclusively cover the cost of producing the disc itself so as not to turn over a profit.
Selling Sing on DVD would not only allow more people to enjoy the show, but would also create more revenue for Student Productions. Given the high demand in ticket sales for Sing, it is rational to think there would be a similarly high demand for DVDs.
Senior Alpha Chi Omega Sing Chair Yasmin Laird said she would love to have Sing on DVD.
“I usually watch videos of Sing over and over again on YouTube. So I would definitely buy the DVD because it will allow me to cherish the memory forever,” Laird said.
Although several people watch performances on YouTube it is not the same quality as if their were several cameras recording the show. The videos that are posted on YouTube are videos that people in the audience take and many times they are very far away. The videos on YouTube don’t give you the full experience of actually being there. Also, during Sing you are not allowed to take videos or photos during the show, so the videos that are posted are against the rules.
Selling Sing videos on DVD is a practical way for students to relive college memories for years to come.
Christina Soto is a senior journalism major from Miami.
