SGA proposes new January concert

Author: Scott Greene

In an effort designed to reverse the recent devolution of the College's social scene away from campus and promote more on-campus partying, at least one additional music concert will be brought to campus during Winter Term after members of the Student Government Association's (SGA) Social Affairs Committee gathered on Oct. 18 to discuss the new initiative.

"[The concert series] is SGA's effort to help the social problem happening on campus and provide one solution for a party on campus that kids will actually want to go to and that won't be causing strife with the administration," said Liz Parker '07, co-leader of the Social Affairs Committee. "The concerts will be predominantly off-campus bands brought in much in the same way that other organizations throw concerts."

The new concert will tentatively occur in Atwater Dining Hall during the first or second Friday after students return for Winter Term in January. Another concert will be held during the Spring term, but the committee must first resolve budget concerns that have arisen during the planning process.

The committee has met over the last two weeks to begin discussions about the new concert. It includes SGA cabinet members and representatives from WRMC 91.1. The initiative originally called for a monthly concert series, according to WRMC Concert Director Will Durkin '08.5, but plans have changed in light of the program's budget.

"We asked the Finance Committee what our budget was because originally I was told they said 'whatever you need,"' said Durkin, "but then when we asked them to give us numbers they said $1,500, which is basically nothing." The Social Affairs Committee later amended its goal to include a concert during winter term and another in the spring.

"We're being given a budget to get these concerts but right now we're just trying to work out what sort of budget we need," said Durkin. "But you can't really look for stuff if you don't have a budget."

According to SGA President Alex Stanton '07, funding for the event should not be a problem. However, Stanton conceded that the cost of the band will dictate the amount of funds needed for the event.

"There are certain sub-costs in terms of sound system, food and beverages that are part of every concert but the cost of the band dwarfs those costs," said Stanton, "so that really gives some flexibility there." Still, he cautioned that "obviously [funding] is something to be concerned about."

Stanton's disclaimer was echoed by others. Funding is quite limited, according to Amanda Goodwin '07, chair of the SGA Finance Committee.

"If they want to use the remaining operating budget on concerts, and Alex approves this decision, it will mean no more money for anything else during the year, including all of SGA's other subcommittees," said Goodwin.

Goodwin also cautioned that the groups might have to look outside the Finance Committee for funding.

"The amount remaining in the SGA operating budget is not substantial," said Goodwin. "I would need to learn more about the prospective costs of bands, and also the subcommittee's plans to generate ticket revenue before seeing if that amount could even pay for a fraction of what this committee is thinking up."

Conscious of their financial situation, the SGA has already begun to look for alternative funding opportunities. Dining Services will likely co-sponsor the event, and Atwater Commons will probably get involved as well. By joining forces with non-student groups, the SGA hopes to take pressure off of the Finance Committee. Goodwin agreed that even more funding options exist that can support the concert series.

"Notably, charging for tickets would help replenish the fund and could contribute to a greater number of concerts," she said.

In the meantime, the Finance Committee is also working to change the way it allocates money to better facilitate new initiatives and rehabilitate the on-campus social scene, according to Stanton.

"In the past, we've sort of said 'let's let the student groups have all the money, and they can run social life, each student group can have their own little thing and that's great and wonderful,'" said Stanton, "but it makes it really hard to do new and big all-campus initiatives." He said that the existing funds are reserved for new student groups as opposed to new event-based initiatives.

In the meantime, the group must still work out its financial plan for the concert. Durkin said that the Social Affairs Committee will probably ask for a budget of $6,000.

"That's what we think it will take to bring a cool band that people know," he said. "[The SGA] said they wanted name-recognition. We could have a show with $1,500, but they're not going to get what they want and I think they'd be disappointed."

The Social Affairs Committee hopes that the concert series will succeed as a new initiative and gain a formalized place in the SGA's budget for next year.

"The biggest issue that affects all students is the way the money is allocated, and right now there a lot of small student groups that get a lot of money for various existing events and that's great, it makes Midd unique, but at the same time it makes it hard for us to have something bigger that lots of student groups can get together on," said Stanton. "[The Concert] should be exciting for everyone. It's something new and I think it will work and be a lot of fun."