Despite some gray skies over Muncie this weekend, the city became slightly greener because of the efforts of a Ball State University senior.
James Nimmer's Wuhnurth concert came to a close Sunday, raising money for Full Circle Arts Co-op and a cluster of environmental initiatives in a city that is generally known for its industrial nature.
It was no easy task preparing for a concert intended for 2,000 fans.
The process began with a pre-festival concert in March to kick off the fundraising for the three-day festival this weekend.
After the March concert, Nimmer's ambition began to grow into a reality from its humble, grass-roots beginnings.
From there, the senior psychology major sought out more than 50 bands - some from Indiana, some from as far away as the West Coast - to perform at the Water Bowl. Even for music majors, having connections with that many bands is hard. For a psychology major those connections become even more of a rarity.
Take a look at some of the major concerts this weekend. Some of you might have passed up Wuhnurth to go to X Fest on Saturday in Noblesville. Organizers for that festival managed to wrangle seven bands for the one-day event. Wuhnurth featured more than 20 artists that same day.
Although Nimmer spearheaded it all, he wasn't alone after he recruited help from places such as Doc's Music Hall, Muncie radio stations and even Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. By doing so, he was able to bring parts of a city together to work for his cause.
You might not like going to concerts. You might not care about the environment. You might have any number of reasons to not care about a concert at the Water Bowl. But there's one thing you can't deny - what Nimmer managed to put together took a lot of time, effort and personal sacrifice, which is something any student here can take note of.
While many of us spent our summers working internships or just lounging alongside a pool, Nimmer was engaged with an in-depth project outside his major simply because he wanted to do some greater good, in this case improving the environment.
Yes, organizing a concert festival is a bit above and beyond a normal calling for a college student, but it serves as an example for what any of us can do when we have an idea and are willing to put in the effort.
The next time you find yourself sitting around your living room, talking to your friends about something great Ball State or Muncie needs, try moving forward with that and figure out what it will take. Nimmer has shown it might be more possible than you realize.
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