Students who were looking forward to see a national musical act come to campus will be sorely disappointed.
The news that the Campus Activity Board (CAB) would not be hosting a spring concert spread quickly last Tuesday.
Some Bona’s students on Twitter derided the decision. They lobbed criticisms at the school’s administration and CAB and tossed allegations of administration-forced budget cuts.
One user called our school “poor” and charged it “cut the budget.” Another said “our school’s a joke.”
These would-be Bona’s commentators skimped on the facts of the issue and failed to consider the reason for the move.
For one, CAB’s budget is determined by undergraduate enrollment, according to Steve Kuchera, assistant director of the Center for Activities, Recreation and Leadership.
CAB’s funds come from the student activities fee. When there’s higher enrollment, there’s obviously more money to draw from. Enrollment for the 2012-13 school year was lower than expected, according to Kuchera.
Bringing a musical act to campus requires a sizable investment, and that investment would ultimately cut into the other services CAB offers. And what if the act chosen wasn’t a crowd pleaser?
Last year, CAB brought Breathe Carolina and the Ready Set to perform on campus. Instead of playing the Reilly Center, the bands were sent to play at the Rathskeller due to underwhelming ticket sales. In April 2012, The Bona Venture reported the bands drew a total crowd of 300, a drastic decline from acts in past years.
It can be guaranteed that not everyone will be pleased with the act that is chosen. Instead of debating the merits of holding the concert, we would be debating the act chosen. The derision from many students would be essentially the same.
“We can name any band, and if we asked every student if they would go, some would say yes and some would say no,” Kuchera said.
If CAB decided to host a band, would we be complaining about changes that would be necessary elsewhere? Would we then whine about pricier movie tickets, fewer bus trips and fewer weekend activities? Certainly. It’s always easy to complain.
But CAB considers those weekly activities and movie tickets as its first responsibility, Kuchera said. CAB also has the costs associated with Spring Weekend to cover.
CAB is even investing $4,000 more in inflatables and Spring Weekend activities than in years past, CAB President Christiana Eckel said.
CAB says it’s open to suggestions from students for trips and activities. If there’s a concert in a nearby town or city that could draw students, CAB would consider planning a bus trip, Kuchera said. With this level of consideration for suggestions, we have little right to complain.
The student critics need to understand that CAB was put in a tough situation. It had a choice between gutting other activities or taking a gamble on a concert.
No matter how disappointing it may be to some, the decision to pass on a concert this year is ultimately the best move CAB could make. We should be appreciative of what CAB has already hosted this year and of the activities to come.
This editorial represents the opinion of The Bona Venture staff.
