By Ben Dulavitch | Echo
The members of Integration of Faith and Culture (IFC) cabinet are just a few of the many students across campus who enjoy listening to Spanish alternative dance bands in the Student Union. They even planned a concert at the end of October to satisfy their cravings.
Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to a "virtual kidnapping" in Mexico. A "virtual kidnapping", according to businesssecurityinformation.com, is when a person steals personal information such a cell phone or wallet. The thief will then contact family or friends of the victim and claim they are kidnapped, demanding a ransom.
Delorean, a band formed in the small Spanish town of Zarautz in 2000, was set to perform in the Union Tuesday, Oct. 29. The always-quirky IFC chose "jungle disco" as the concert's theme and reportedly planned to serve fake bugs as refreshments. A "glitter tiger" was also rumored to make an appearance. The organization was looking forward to the event.
That was, until a group of criminals in Mexico posed as security officers and informed Delorean that there was a threat at their hotel. The band was then moved to another location, where they were psychologically manipulated by the kidnappers into believing they were in danger. The kidnappers reportedly attempted to extort money from the band's family members.
The band was rescued several days after the incident by the Spanish national police. None of the members were harmed. Delorean issued a statement several days later explaining the kidnapping and announcing the cancellation of their fall tour.
After the success of their Kishi Bashi concert last year, IFC was disappointed by the band's decision. "It's a bummer," said senior IFC member Janson Long. "We worked hard to get them here, and we think it would have been a lot of fun."
According to Long, there is a possibility that Delorean may come to Taylor after all, although not until the spring semester. "We're trying to get them here sometime in February. That would be ideal," Long said.
In the meantime, IFC is in the process of organizing several events planned for the upcoming months. The organization will be screening an upcoming film on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
Additionally, IFC will shortly be re-launching the IFC blog, which will provide details about IFC events and feature short articles reviewing books, films, art and other cultural aspects.
IFC is reportedly considering changing the theme of the Delorean concert in February.
