U.C. Rejects $45K Concert Proposal

The Undergraduate Council voted at its meeting last night not to allocate $45,000 to bring the band Live to Harvard in April, citing a lack of organization and its uncertain audience turnout.

The bill's opponents said they thought the concert was poorly planned and would probably not attract the sellout crowds the bill's sponsors envisioned. In addition, they said there were too many administrative obstacles to the concert that had not yet been resolved.

Ethan M. Phillips '96, the bill's sponsor, said he had not received an absolute commitment from the Harvard Athletic Department that the council could hold the concert in Briggs Cage.

For the concert to take place in the cage, a pad would have to be purchased to protect the floor, Phillips said. The Harvard administration has already promised to buy the pad for such events, but it would have to be persuaded to do so before the concert, he added.

Campus Life Committee Co-chair Jonathan P. Feeney '97 said that the council could iron out all of the administrative details within two weeks and still have a month for publicity.

"We shouldn't let administrative concerns stop us tonight," Feeney said.

Besides questions over the availability of Briggs Cage, opponents of the bill said they were concerned about the lack of specific information regarding the sale of most of the tickets through Ticketmaster.

Phillips said Ticketmaster would only sell tickets for the concert if it could sell the majority of the tickets, charge the council a fixed fee and levy an additional surcharge per ticket, but he said he did not know the specific details.

Briggs Cage seats approximately 4000, and an amendment to the bill specified that tickets would sell for $12 for Harvard students and $15 plus Ticketmaster charges for everyone else.

The bill's opponents said they were upset thatthere was no clear estimate as to how many peoplewould buy tickets.

"We don't know anything but the amount we'regoing to spend," said Student Affairs CommitteeChair Randall A. Fine '96, who voted against thebill. "I would hope that the biggest proposalwe've had would also be the most detailed."

Campus Life Committee Co-chair Rudd W. Coffey'97 said that the concert could easily sell outwith the amount of publicity that was planned.

"We would have about $2000 to spend onpublicity," Coffey said. "We'd take out ads in theBoston Phoenix, make full sized color posters, andgive tickets to radio stations to give away."

Council Treasurer Brian R. Blais '97 said hedid not believe that the council should outlay somuch money for a service that would benefit somany non-Harvard students.

"We are not here for any other college," Blaissaid. "If we have to sell so many tickets tonon-Harvard students, we're not doing our job."

Feeney voted against the resolution, sayingthat it would preclude too many other activities.

"We have a lot of other great things plannedlike Springfest, shuttle buses into Boston andcomedy concerts," Feeney said. "If we pass thisbill, we won't be able to allocate any money forthem until we find out how the concert does."

Council Parliamentarian Jason E. Schmitt '98said that the bill was in violation of thecouncil's bylaws and could violate itsconstitution.

"The campus life committee has a maximum of$23,000 to spend, so in order to cover the cost ofthe concert until revenues come in, we would haveto violate the bylaws by spending grants money,"Schmitt said. "And if we didn't ever make enoughrevenue, we'd have serious constitutionalproblems."

The bill's supporters argued that the councilshould still take the risk in order to set aprecedent for future concerts.

"We're working on a concert tradition here,"said Spyros H. Poulios '96. "We've not taken verygood steps in the past on this. We shouldn't worryso much about the details."

The bill was defeated, 20 to 30, with oneabstention, though Mather House's delegationbanded together to unanimously support it.

The resolution would have been the largestallocation by the council in memory, said councilPresident Joshua D. Liston '95

The bill's opponents said they were upset thatthere was no clear estimate as to how many peoplewould buy tickets.

"We don't know anything but the amount we'regoing to spend," said Student Affairs CommitteeChair Randall A. Fine '96, who voted against thebill. "I would hope that the biggest proposalwe've had would also be the most detailed."

Campus Life Committee Co-chair Rudd W. Coffey'97 said that the concert could easily sell outwith the amount of publicity that was planned.

"We would have about $2000 to spend onpublicity," Coffey said. "We'd take out ads in theBoston Phoenix, make full sized color posters, andgive tickets to radio stations to give away."

Council Treasurer Brian R. Blais '97 said hedid not believe that the council should outlay somuch money for a service that would benefit somany non-Harvard students.

"We are not here for any other college," Blaissaid. "If we have to sell so many tickets tonon-Harvard students, we're not doing our job."

Feeney voted against the resolution, sayingthat it would preclude too many other activities.

"We have a lot of other great things plannedlike Springfest, shuttle buses into Boston andcomedy concerts," Feeney said. "If we pass thisbill, we won't be able to allocate any money forthem until we find out how the concert does."

Council Parliamentarian Jason E. Schmitt '98said that the bill was in violation of thecouncil's bylaws and could violate itsconstitution.

"The campus life committee has a maximum of$23,000 to spend, so in order to cover the cost ofthe concert until revenues come in, we would haveto violate the bylaws by spending grants money,"Schmitt said. "And if we didn't ever make enoughrevenue, we'd have serious constitutionalproblems."

The bill's supporters argued that the councilshould still take the risk in order to set aprecedent for future concerts.

"We're working on a concert tradition here,"said Spyros H. Poulios '96. "We've not taken verygood steps in the past on this. We shouldn't worryso much about the details."

The bill was defeated, 20 to 30, with oneabstention, though Mather House's delegationbanded together to unanimously support it.

The resolution would have been the largestallocation by the council in memory, said councilPresident Joshua D. Liston '95