Students and volunteers gathered in the Maintenance Shop of the Memorial Union on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the long-awaited announcement of the band playing at the 10,000 Hours Show this spring.

After an introduction from Matthew Mead, organization treasurer and junior in chemistry, the executive director of the Volunteer Center of Story County, Shellie Orngard, spoke about the organization. Soon after, a video highlighting the 10,000 Hours Show and introducing the new band was shown.

Jet, an Australian band, will perform at Drake University’s Knapp Center on April 11. The band is best-known for songs such as ‘Are you gonna be my girl’ and ‘Shine on.’

“We’re very excited,” said Jason Baragary, public relations chairman for the event and junior in English. “I think Jet will put on a great show. They’re a well-known band I think people will really enjoy.”

The past bands, which have included Ben Folds, Guster and Cake, must satisfy several factors in order to be chosen.

“The bands are chosen on several different things – mostly pricing and availability, but also on who is on tour and who is in the studio,” said Kyndra Lundquist, assistant events director and senior in zoology. “Jet just released a CD so they’re not recording at this time. When they heard about how the show works, that made them decide how to do the concert.”

Mullen said the 10,000 Hours Show concerts have a cool twist to them.

“The audience is specific, the [audience] earned their way to the concert and they didn’t pay for it,” said Rachel Mullen, president of the organization and senior in English. “Jet certainly knows the concert is for a good cause and that’s why they’re playing.”

Mullen expressed her enjoyment that the 10,000 Hours Show was spreading to other states, such as Wisconsin and Michigan, which already have shows established.

“We’re working with the United Way of America to really try to implement this program on college campuses that have a United Way or volunteer center affiliate,” she said.

Even though the band has been announced, it’s not too late to sign up for the event. The only requirement is that students complete their hours by April 1, 2007. Mullen encourages others to join the event.

“It comes down to the fact that the program makes sense,” she said. “People need help and they need people to help them. Whether its our responsibility or our duty, it’s something we should do to help one another.”

Jamie Seeman, junior in agronomy, gave others another reason to participate in the event.

“I think it is a great way to show communities that students really do care,” she said. “[It] shows the world we can really make a difference, even though we are young.”

To sign up or for more information about the event, visit the organization’s Web site at www.10000hours.stuorg.iastate.edu or e-mail them at [email protected].