By Courtney Roach staff reporter TCU might not be a mecca of rising musical artists and huge blowout concerts, but with a price tag of $78,000 for the Goo Goo Dolls concert brought by the Programming Council last fall, the organization can now only afford one big name a year, PC officials said. Victor Drabicky, PC concerts chairman, said when he took over as concerts chairman in October, he was supposed to have $35,100. After expenses from the Goo Goo Dolls concert that did not sell out were deducted, he was left with around $11,000 to use for the rest of the semester. "Students want big-name concerts, and we don't charge them full price for tickets, so we don't make a profit off of the concerts," Drabicky said. "If we made enough money back off the concerts, then we might be able to have more." Meredith Killgore, vice president for programming, said the organization made $52,000 from student and public ticket sales, which left $26,000 to be paid. She said PC had budgeted $25,000 to spend on the concert, so the debt was not unexpected, and PC officials were able to pay for some of the costs out of a PC reserve fund. "When you look at it, we knew we probably wouldn't recover what we spent, but we wanted to bring a big name," Killgore said. "The rule is you have to go into it knowing you might lose as much money as putting it on costs." Jessie Korth, a junior political science major, said PC should spend the money on big-name concerts instead of a few minor ones. "I think it would be more beneficial to do one big concert than use the money for smaller concerts that won't draw the crowds," she said. "Although PC lost money, they still promoted a good image for themselves." Marcus Johnson, a junior political science and business major, said one big-name concert is where the money should go. "I think one big concert would put us on the map, and I wouldn't mind spending the money on it," he said. Along with costs of production, performers' fees and travel expenses, PC got a lengthy list of hospitality wishes, called a contract writer. Killgore said this is a standard part of a contract with big names, but PC did not fulfill all of the wishes on the list. "It was like 24 pages long and was really specific for the Goo Goo Dolls because some of the band members were on a special diet," she said. "I think the funniest thing they asked for was 24 pairs of tube socks and a chef who would cook them breakfast when they wanted because they did not want to eat at the hotel." PC also lost money three years ago on an Indigo Girls concert that did not sell out. PC adviser Larry Markley said PC has not had a successful concert money-wise on the TCU campus in the 13 years he has been here. "Until we have a facility that is a concert venue, we should hold off on trying to bring names like the Goo Goo Dolls or Indigo Girls," Markley said. "We paid tens of thousands of dollars to make the coliseum a concert facility for the Goo Goo Dolls concert, and the fire marshal said only 600 people could be in the coliseum." Johnson said he was not at the Goo Goo Dolls concert, but he thought TCU had a big enough venue to bring large concerts. "I wish we could use the football field for a concert," he said. "I think that would be cool." Lisette Gerch, a former PC Homecoming co-chairwoman, said regardless of the cost, the Goo Goo Dolls was an appropriate concert for Homecoming festivities. "I thought it was a success because we wanted to bring a big name, and we accomplished that," Gerch said. "If students want a big-name concert, then we should do that sometimes." Drabicky said the money loss will not affect PC's decision to continue to bring big-name concerts. "We're looking at doing another major concert, such as Beck, Collective Soul or Busta Rhymes for Homecoming next year," Drabicky said. "It's just this semester that we don't have the budget to put on another major concert." Killgore said PC will be taking some precautions, though, on the next major concert. "We're starting to plan much earlier, and we'll be meeting soon for the fall semester," she said. "But the way we do it, we'll probably always lose money because we will always sell tickets to students for reduced prices."
Courtney Roach
By Reagan Duplisea staff reporter Plans for a new recreation center and Student Center have to become more realistic, university officials said. In order to keep costs down, some things have been eliminated from the plans for the buildings. Larry Markley, director of the Student Center, said the architects met with the core and steering committees to pare costs by almost $35 million. Representatives from the architectural firms, WTW in Pittsburgh and Cannon in Los Angeles, presented two proposals that would cost about $75 million for both buildings. The proposed plans were based on input from students, faculty and administrators, Markley said. "This is considerably more than the university wants to spend," Markley said. "Through our committees, we cut the projects down to a total of $40 million - the goal of the committees." Markley said the hardest loss he personally faced was having to give up a theater. "The Student Center needs a theater, so we can do programs we're not capable of doing right now," Markley said. Having a theater would allow programs that include more speakers, movies and video presentations, such as watching a Rolling Stones concert in London via satellite, Markley said. Ed Landreth Hall Auditorium and the PepsiCo Recital Hall are frequently unavailable for such events and programs, he said. Markley also said the Student Center Ballroom's equipment is outdated and the seats are uncomfortable. However, more lounge areas, a game room and more room for student organizations are still in the plans, Markley said. "We're still looking at the possibility of the post office moving into the Student Center," Markley said. The main scheme under consideration is expansion of the Student Center west toward Frog Fountain, Markley said. Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs, said retail shops might be placed in the Student Center to help defray costs. Shops could include a travel agency, a music shop, a dry cleaner and a movie rental store, Mills said. Steve Kintigh, director of recreational sports, said some cuts were made to the recreation center as well. The basketball courts were reduced from five to four, with no center court, he said. Kintigh said plans for both expanding the Rickel Building and constructing an entirely new recreation building are on the table. Karen Wimmer, a junior music education major and manager at the Rickel, said she would like to see a new building constructed because it would help TCU compete with other schools. "My big suggestion (as member of the steering committee) has been to move the Rickel altogether because of the bad design of the building initially," Wimmer said. "The building itself is like an office building. It's not inviting for students to come and work out." Wimmer said the new building could be a draw for both athletes and non-athletes. "As managers, we go on a retreat every year," Wimmer said. "We see other facilities like at Texas A&M. It's a very big eye-opener." One possible location of a new recreation building is the parking lot across from the current building, Wimmer said. The parking spaces and the TCU Diamond would have to be relocated. Kintigh said no plans for funding the Student Center and recreation building projects have been finalized, but the committees are considering a variety of options, including student fees. Wimmer said she thinks students would be divided on the issue. "I think students who work out and use the building would be willing to pay the fees, but there are a lot of students who don't work out," Wimmer said. "Overall, most students wouldn't want to pay the extra fees, but I think student fees would be a last resort." Markley said if the university chooses to use student funding, it is possible that only students who take advantage of the buildings would pay the extra fees. "Let's say we're two years away," Markley said. "Freshmen and sophomores may start paying for it now." Mills said the university's goal is to begin construction on the two buildings by Spring or Summer 2001. The committees will meet with the architects again to review schematic plans and go over costs on March 24, Markley said.
Reagan Duplisea
By Jill McNeal staff reporter Junior John Cunningham said he will never forget the day-trip he took up and down the streets of London. That was the day he saw things in person that he had only read in books and was forced to interact with another culture because there was nothing else to fall back on. For Cunningham, those are the memories that make him wish he could have added a British studies minor to his English major. "We have a strong program in England," Cunningham said. "Having a British studies minor would seem to be the next step." Possibly as soon as Fall 2000, TCU could offer a minor in British and Commonwealth studies, said Anne Helmreich, an assistant professor of art history. The dean of AddRan College of Arts and Sciences will appoint an official committee in the next few weeks to review the proposal, Helmreich said. "We already have a large, active group of faculty members from different departments who are interested in British studies," she said. "We, as a faculty, are constantly learning from each other. Why can't we bring this to the students?" The idea for a minor in British studies sprung from a group of professors who have met informally since 1997 to discuss their interest in all things British, said Susan Layne, coordinator of the TCU London Centre. "You can study different cultures academically here in Fort Worth, but actually rubbing shoulders with another culture - you can't get that out of a textbook," she said. Cunningham said he misses the culture he became accustomed to in London. "I came back to Fort Worth, and everything I do, I relate back to my experiences in London," he said. "I would have loved to have come back and continued my cultural studies here." The new minor is possible because classes with a British component are already offered in departments such as English and history, Helmreich said. Overseas study would not be required for the new minor but would be strongly encouraged, Helmreich said. "We understand that some students have firm degree plans that wouldn't allow them to study abroad," she said. "We also think some students might choose this minor after having gone abroad." Linda Hughes, a professor of English, said the interdisciplinary nature of the proposed program is vital to its success. "We are starting to realize that knowledge doesn't work in little compartments," she said. "We need to look outside of individual disciplines." Layne said the time has come to make British studies an institutional priority. "The original group of interested professors felt the foundations were already laid, and that this was an area where they could move TCU's mission statement forward," she said. British and Commonwealth studies include not only the British Isles but also parts of Africa, India, Australia, Canada and the United States that were once under British rule, Helmreich said. Cunningham said interaction with other cultures is necessary for students. "It is so important to have some sort of international experience during college," he said. "There are so many jobs now that cross over from cities such as New York to London." Helmreich said a British studies minor would be a strong addition to many majors. "So many markets are linked between the United States and the United Kingdom," she said. "It would be to a student's advantage to be familiar with the culture and different places in Britain." Helmreich said the minor would also give students applying for international scholarships with fellowships in the United Kingdom an advantage over their competition. Interested students or those with input may e-mail Helmreich at (A.Helmreich@tcu.edu).
Jill McNeal
By Victor Drabicky staff reporter Although TCU might not see the results of Joelle Martin's work until 2002, the senior economics major said she is excited to see that people are beginning to take note of it. "The people at the center for university advancement have been very helpful in trying to bring this lecture series to campus," Martin said. "They've done everything from setting up a list of goals to committing to help me with fund raising." For the past few months, Martin has been working toward starting a lecture series that her grandmother began almost 10 years ago. The Dorothy Garrett Martin Memorial Delta Gamma Lectureship in Values and Ethics was founded in 1991 by Dorothy Garrett Martin. Martin said she used her grandmother's death and an increase in crime at her high school as inspiration for bringing the lecture series to TCU. "After I left high school, I heard horror stories of girls being raped and people getting into horrible fights," Martin said. "I could literally see people's ethics and family values going downhill."
"I believe that if someone that is well-known speaks to students, they can really influence the way students act," Martin said. Martin said in order to start the lecture series at TCU, Martin will need to raise $50,000, which will then be matched by Martin's grandfather to start an endowment. The endowment will then be large enough to earn enough interest to sponsor one big-name speaker a year. Raising the initial $50,000 was not a problem when students began the lecture series at Southern Methodist University four years ago, said Patti O'Connell, Delta Gamma liaison to SMU. "We managed to raise the money in only 2 1/2 months," O'Connell said. "We had donations range from as small as $10 to as large as $10,000." If Martin's efforts to bring the lecture series to campus are successful, TCU would join seven other universities including the University of Akron and the University of Southern California as host to the series. O'Connell said she believes the series could have a great influence on all students at TCU. "The series has been very successful at SMU," she said. "It has a way of bringing together Greeks and non-Greeks. It also helps to cast a positive light on the Greeks, which many times are seen as having a negative influence." Martin, who graduates in May, said she hopes to pass her efforts on to her sorority sisters after she graduates. "I am moving to Houston to work when I graduate," Martin said. "I am just happy to know that my project will be left in good hands after I leave."
Victor Drabicky |
Martin said the lecture series, which brings
speakers such as Barbara Bush and Maya Angelou to campuses that sponsor
the series, would help remind students of their values and that they need
to act ethically.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |