Press Release - Fall Bacchanal Cancelled - Spring Concert Under Review
4
Press Release: Fall Bacchanal Cancelled, Spring Concert Under Review We are disappointed to confirm that, despite our objections, a planned Fall Bacchanal concert that was set to take place this September has been cancelled, and this year’s Spring Bacchanal Concert has been placed under administrative review. Following this year’s spring Bacchanal, the Bacchanal Committee met with the Activities Board at Columbia (ABC) and the four undergraduate Student Councils about the possibility of hosting the first Fall Bacchanal, in addition to the annual spring concert. The idea had first been discussed in early April and was solidified during F@CU sessions in the spring. The Office of Student Engagement, which is responsible for representing the administration to student groups and overseeing campus events, approved Fall Bacchanal on May 15th and secured Low Plaza as a concert venue. The first offer to a performer was submitted the following day and was signed off by Bacchanal’s advisor. Throughout May, June, and July, the Committee booked two more artists and was in frequent communication with the Office of Student Engagement about the event; administrators in the Office of Student Engagement themselves submitted signed offers for the three artists on June 5, June 23, and July 7. By July 8th all three artists were confirmed for a show on September 14. Extensive planning was done by the Bacchanal Committee to ensure a safe and successful event. Further, every suggestion made to improve safety measures from Bacchanal’s advisors were met without hesitation. At no point was Bacchanal given any indication of administrative concerns until July 28, when Bacchanal CoPresident Benjamin Kornick was called into a meeting with the Bacchanal advisors from Student Engagement and the Interim Dean of Student Life. Ben was informed at the meeting that the four undergraduate deans had recently met and decided not to allow the fall show to proceed. During that meeting, no specific details were given as to the reasons behind the cancellation other than general comments about safety concerns associated with drinking and sexual harassment and that the concert was too close to the start of the school year. The following day, the four undergraduate Councils and ABC met with members of the Bacchanal Committee to address the sudden cancellation. On Tuesday morning, Bacchanal Executive Board members sent emails to the four undergraduate deans requesting more information about the reasoning behind the cancellation. The email requested the opportunity to meet and discuss the cancellation so the committee and Councils could attempt to first understand and then address the deans’ concerns. None of these emails received any response. On Wednesday, July 30, one of the Council presidents met with their undergraduate dean and received a preliminary explanation for the cancellation. That night, representatives of the Bacchanal Committee, the executive boards of all four undergraduate student Councils, and ABC wrote a letter detailing numerous concerns regarding the cancellation, including the fact that this decision was made without any consultation with students, after approval had been given for months, and after artists had been confirmed, meaning that, in line with standard industry practice, the Bacchanal Committee would still be obligated to pay $55,000 of
-
Upload
columbia-daily-spectator -
Category
Documents
-
view
332 -
download
0
description
Press release from Bacchanal, ABC, SGB, GBB, and the Four Undergraduate Councils about Bacchanal being under review. Spectator story here: http://columbiaspectator.com/arts-and-entertainment/2014/08/11/bacchanal-announces-cancellation-planned-september-concert
Transcript of Press Release - Fall Bacchanal Cancelled - Spring Concert Under Review
-
PressRelease:FallBacchanalCancelled,SpringConcertUnderReviewWearedisappointedtoconfirmthat,despiteourobjections,aplannedFallBacchanalconcertthatwassettotakeplacethisSeptemberhasbeencancelled,andthisyearsSpringBacchanalConcerthasbeenplacedunderadministrativereview.FollowingthisyearsspringBacchanal,theBacchanalCommitteemetwiththeActivitiesBoardatColumbia(ABC)andthefourundergraduateStudentCouncilsaboutthepossibilityofhostingthefirstFallBacchanal,inadditiontotheannualspringconcert.TheideahadfirstbeendiscussedinearlyAprilandwassolidifiedduringF@CUsessionsinthespring.TheOfficeofStudentEngagement,whichisresponsibleforrepresentingtheadministrationtostudentgroupsandoverseeingcampusevents,approvedFallBacchanalonMay15thandsecuredLowPlazaasaconcertvenue.ThefirstoffertoaperformerwassubmittedthefollowingdayandwassignedoffbyBacchanalsadvisor.ThroughoutMay,June,andJuly,theCommitteebookedtwomoreartistsandwasinfrequentcommunicationwiththeOfficeofStudentEngagementabouttheeventadministratorsintheOfficeofStudentEngagementthemselvessubmittedsignedoffersforthethreeartistsonJune5,June23,andJuly7.ByJuly8thallthreeartistswereconfirmedforashowonSeptember14.ExtensiveplanningwasdonebytheBacchanalCommitteetoensureasafeandsuccessfulevent.Further,everysuggestionmadetoimprovesafetymeasuresfromBacchanalsadvisorsweremetwithouthesitation.AtnopointwasBacchanalgivenanyindicationofadministrativeconcernsuntilJuly28,whenBacchanalCoPresidentBenjaminKornickwascalledintoameetingwiththeBacchanaladvisorsfromStudentEngagementandtheInterimDeanofStudentLife.Benwasinformedatthemeetingthatthefourundergraduatedeanshadrecentlymetanddecidednottoallowthefallshowtoproceed.Duringthatmeeting,nospecificdetailsweregivenastothereasonsbehindthecancellationotherthangeneralcommentsaboutsafetyconcernsassociatedwithdrinkingandsexualharassmentandthattheconcertwastooclosetothestartoftheschoolyear.Thefollowingday,thefourundergraduateCouncilsandABCmetwithmembersoftheBacchanalCommitteetoaddressthesuddencancellation.OnTuesdaymorning,BacchanalExecutiveBoardmemberssentemailstothefourundergraduatedeansrequestingmoreinformationaboutthereasoningbehindthecancellation.TheemailrequestedtheopportunitytomeetanddiscussthecancellationsothecommitteeandCouncilscouldattempttofirstunderstandandthenaddressthedeansconcerns.Noneoftheseemailsreceivedanyresponse.OnWednesday,July30,oneoftheCouncilpresidentsmetwiththeirundergraduatedeanandreceivedapreliminaryexplanationforthecancellation.Thatnight,representativesoftheBacchanalCommittee,theexecutiveboardsofallfourundergraduatestudentCouncils,andABCwrotealetterdetailingnumerousconcernsregardingthecancellation,includingthefactthatthisdecisionwasmadewithoutanyconsultationwithstudents,afterapprovalhadbeengivenformonths,andafterartistshadbeenconfirmed,meaningthat,inlinewithstandardindustrypractice,theBacchanalCommitteewouldstillbeobligatedtopay$55,000of
-
undergraduatestudentlifefeestotheartistswhetherornottheyperformed.TheletterfurtherstatedstudentsbeliefthatcancelingBacchanalwasamisguidedwaytofightsexualassault,becauseitsimplydistractedfromanddisguisedtheunderlyingcausesofsexualviolence,ratherthancreatingacampuscultureinwhichstudentscouldsafelyparticipateinschoolwide,communityevents.TheletteralsoarticulatedseveralproposalstomakeBacchanalasafereventforstudents.ThisletterwassenttothefourundergraduatedeansonThursdaymorning,signedbytheexecutiveboardsofallfourundergraduateCouncils,theexecutiveboardofABC,theexecutiveboardofSGB,theexecutiveboardofGBB,andallsixundergraduateUniversitySenators,addressingeveryconcernweweremadeawareoffromthedeansperspectives,andaddressingthedeanslackofdirectcommunicationwiththeBacchanalCommittee.CouncilmembersrequestedthattheundergraduatedeansmeetwiththeBacchanalCommittee.OnFriday,August1st,variousCouncilmembersandBacchanalCoPresidentMeredithVeneruswereabletospeaktootherundergraduatedeans.Thedeansoutlinedtheirconcernssurroundingsafetyattheconcert,andagreedtocommunicatemoredirectlywiththeBacchanalExecutiveBoardgoingforward.OnMonday,aformalsafetyproposalwassubmittedtothefourdeans,detailingeffectivemeasurestoimprovecrowdcontrolandfightexcessivedrinking.SimilardetailshadpreviouslybeenprovidedtoStudentEngagement.Theproposalalsosuggestedchangestotheconcertthemethatwouldconveyapositivemessage,addressthedeansconcerns,andfacilitateachangeincampusculture.Othersafetymeasureswereproposed,includingplanstogiveoutbackstagepassestostudentswhoparticipatedinbystanderinterventiontrainingsprovidedbySexualViolenceResponseandhostedbyBacchanal,toprovidewaterstationsandfoodinsidethefences,andtobargraduatestudentsfromtheevent(graduatestudentsaccountedforsixoutofthirteenCUEMShospitaltransportsatBacchanal2013).Itisalsoworthmentioningthatweofferedtomovetheconcerttoaseatedvenueifthatwaswhatittooktoprovidethesecuritythedeansrequiredtoreversethecancellationandsignoffontheevent.TheletteralsorequestedforthedeanstomeetwiththeBacchanalCommitteebeforedecidingthefateoftheeventforasecondtime.OnFriday,August8,theDeansrespondedtotheBacchanalCommitteeandthefourCouncils,thankingthemfortheirthoughtfulproposalsbutwritingthatthecancellationoftheFallConcertwasfinalandputtingthestatusoftheannualspringeventinquestion.However,aseconddecisionwasmadewithoutmeetingwiththeBacchanalCommitteetoheartheirperspectiveandgivethemachancetoalleviateanyconcerns.Thedeansagreedtocoverthe$55,000thatBacchanalowedtotheartistsduetocontractsthathadalreadybeenapproved.Whilethestudentgroupwillbereimbursed,wefeelthisisanunacceptablewasteofmoneythatwouldhaveotherwisegonetowardsmeetingstudentneedsawastethatcouldhaveeasilybeenavoidedthroughopencommunication.Weareconcernedandtroubledbytheprocessofthiscancellationandthelackofcommunicationwithstudentsinmakingthisdecision.WestronglybelieveBacchanalisa
-
valuablecommunitybuildingeventandthatthiseventcanbeheldsafely.HadthedeansraisedtheirconcernswiththeBacchanalCommitteeandthefourCouncilsearlierintheprocess,wecouldhaveworkedtogethertofindsolutionstoallconcerns.Instead,approvalwasgrantedandthenrevoked,withoutconsultationwithanystudentsinvolved.Itisoursincerehopethatthiswillbeanimpetusforchangewebelievestudentsshouldhavedirectandopencommunicationwithdecisionmakers.Wealsobelievethat$55,000istoosteepapricetopayformiscommunicationwithintheadministration,anditisourhopethatfuturedecisionsincludingtheapprovaloftheannualSpringBacchanalconcertwillbeconductedincollaborationwithstudentgroups.ABCExecutiveBoardBacchanalPresidentsandConcertChairsCCSCExecutiveBoardESCExecutiveBoardGBBExecutiveBoardGSSCExecutiveBoardSGAExecutiveBoardSGBExecutiveBoardForfurtherinformationaboutvariousaspectsofthisrelease,wesuggestcontactingthefollowingpeople:
Todiscussthemisuseof$55k,pleasereachouttoRobertYing(speakingonbehalfofESC,[email protected]),MichaelLi(CCSC,[email protected]),PascaleDugue(SGA,[email protected])andPeterNason(GSSC,[email protected]).
TodiscusstheconcernsaboutsafetyandhowtheBacchanalCommitteehasaddressedthem,pleasereachouttoBenjaminKornick(BacchanalCoPresident,[email protected])andMeredithVenerus(BacchanalCoPresident,[email protected]).
Todiscusstheconcernsspecificallyaboutsexualassault,howBacchanalcouldbeusedtomakepositivechangeinthisarea,andwhythiscancellationfailstoaddressthetruecausesofsexualviolence,pleasereachouttoZoeRidolfiStarr(NoRedTape,CoalitionAgainstSexualViolence,[email protected]),SejalSingh(CCSC,CoalitionAgainstSexualViolence,[email protected]),andAbbyPorter(CCSC,CoalitionAgainstSexualViolence,[email protected]).
Todiscusstheprocessofthecancellationandtheunfairtreatmentofthestudentgroupwhoplannedtheevent,pleasereachouttoTonyLee(ABC,[email protected]),BrianWu(ESSC,[email protected])andFatimatouDiallo(SGB,[email protected]).
-
Ifyouhaveanyotherquestions,concerns,orrequests,pleasecontactBenjaminKornick(BacchanalCoPresident,[email protected])andMeredithVenerus(BacchanalCoPresident,[email protected]).
