SpringFest to request funds

After some students found this year’s Homecoming performance underwhelming, student government and other groups are looking to bring in big- name musical artists for an end-of-the-year event.

But high contract fees for more popular artists and a lack of readily available funds could make the event, called SpringFest, difficult to carry out.

A committee under the executive branch of student government is still figuring out how to finance the festival, which members said they hope will feature musical acts and other activities. Their plan is to make the event similar to Duke’s Last Day of Classes celebration.

The committee is partnering with several organizations, including the Carolina Union Activities Board and the Carolina Athletic Association to plan the festival. An exact date has not been set.

Lex Janes, music festival co-chairman, said those organizations have covered costs for production and non-music activities when student government has put on music festivals in the past.

While the committee has yet to contact any specific artists, it’s beginning to get an idea of who it wants to call. Janes said Maroon 5 and Kid Cudi are among the acts on the list of musicians the committee wants to bring to campus.

“We have a short list,” Janes said. “But it’s not exactly really short.”

The committee sent out surveys this semester to gather opinions about artists students would like to see, receiving about 500 responses. Results were used to compile a list.

CUAB President Amanda Kao said getting very popular acts to come is difficult. She experienced the troubles firsthand while planning the Homecoming concerts this fall. Some students expressed disappointment with the selected musical acts, Fabolous and Anoop Desai, after the group tried to bring in bigger artists.

“A lot of the challenges we faced were really high contract fees from artists,” Kao said. “They have definitely increased a great deal from last year.”

Before the semester ends, the music festival committee plans to go before Student Congress to request money to pay performers. Janes said he expects the budget for musicians to be similar to that of Homecoming, which cost $65,000.

Zach Dexter, chairman of the finance committee of Student Congress, said money for large events is usually requested in the annual budget compiled in the spring. No request was made this year.

Event organizers would have to request money from a separate, smaller fund used to make appropriations after the budget process.

“We have a fund of $75,000, the Subsequent Appropriations Fund for the spring 2010 semester, to allocate,” Dexter said.

He added that typically, Congress’ finance committee receives a total of about $50,000 in requests in the spring from all student groups, and large appropriations are unlikely to get approval from Congress. That money is allocated on a first come, first served basis.

“We would have to take a look at projected attendance and cost factors, like how much it would cost to bring performers in,” Dexter said. He added that attendance is a major factor in weighing requests.

Megan Maher, festival co-chairwoman, said she hopes the festival will draw a large crowd.

“We want to expand on the Fall Fest mentality and make it more of an end-of-the-year celebration,” she said.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.