By Cory Iwaszewski
As the academic year kicks off, the IU South Bend Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts once again will be joining the Morris Performing Arts Center in their outdoor lunchtime concert series, Fridays by the Fountain located on the Jon R. Hunt Plaza in downtown South Bend.
Raclin School of the Arts will be displaying their talents on the final Friday of the lunchtime concert series on August 30. The concerts are free and open to the public and run from 11:45 am- 1:15 pm. Food vendors are available at each concert and offer a variety of lunchtime favorites. 
Fridays by the Fountain are an outdoor concert series that has become a summertime tradition in downtown South Bend. The concert series traditionally runs every Friday from June through August and helps bring IU South Bend closer to the surrounding community. This has been the eighth year that IU South Bend has participated in this event, and with the many-changing performances, the community has been a receptive audience ever since.
“For us, it has always been a variety show of the student talents of the Raclin School of the Arts. It’s the last one of the season on top of that, but it’s a way for us to show what we do for the school. It’s our way of ending the summer, by saying what is in store for the rest of the school year,” Marvin Curtis, Dean of Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts, says.
Students from the IU South Bend Kickline are set to perform at the event, and will be joined by other faculty, staff and campus groups. This is always an exciting time for the Arts, as many individual and groups of students are able to share their talents with the community.
The event is also an opportunity for people to experience the different styles of art represented through the school and even encourage other students in joining some of the clubs. Community engagement is a very important aspect for the Raclin School of the Arts, and it is looking like an exciting start to the academic year.