the Informer

Suzie Hunter

Students staged an organized protest outside of CAT’s general board meeting on Tuesday to further voice opinions stated in last week’s issue of the Informer.

Students attended the protest to try to move the Spring Fling concert back outside. Students have been questioning why CAT made this decision considering it was traditionally held outside. However, CAT came prepared with their answers.
Approximately 25 students were present at the board meeting. While students posed questions, the board explained what their intentions were for this year’s Spring Fling, but the students were not pleased with what they heard.
Heidi Simmons, a junior, explained to the board, “I feel like we’re being punished for something that hasn’t happened yet.”

Javaughn Smith, CAT’s general manager and Christian Lyhus, CAT’s comedy and concert chair, answered many of the concerns raised by students. Smith explained, “It’s not a punishment, it’s just a change.”

“If this doesn’t work,” said Lyhus, “who says we’re going back to the gym? If it flops, it flops.” He stated that if the concert is unsuccessful, CAT will reevaluate and contemplate moving the concert back outside for Spring Fling 2011.
Brendan O’Neil, sophomore, explained that he thought putting the concert in the gym will make it “hot, loud and crowded.” He further explained, “Spring Fling is suppose to be for everyone…I just think it’s unfair for the seniors and freshmen.”

Other students felt the same way, and they felt many of their questions were not answered to their liking.
Some felt the concert move was a bad decision because, as some stated, many students choose to consume alcohol during Spring Fling. Lyhus clarified, “We don’t put on Spring Fling as a giant drunkfest.” However, many students noted that some will continue to drink before the concert, and this poses many dangers to their well-being.

Because the concert will be held in the gym, many complaints were about the heat, dehydration and damage throughout the gym. In response to this, CAT has decided to set up tables in the sports center with water bottles to prevent this from occurring. CAT also stated that the air conditioning would be on in the gym to further prevent any problems.
As for the damage, many students like sophomores Kaila Rieders and Sasha Legere explained, “It [the Sports Center] will be damaged no matter what.”

In response, CAT has planned for there to be security mat placed down in the entire Sports Center so the court is not ruined. Smith announced, “Damages [to the Sports Center] are a concern, but that’s really up to you guys.”

Some students were concerned that they would be charged for damages to the Sports Center. CAT noted that students did not get charged for damages to the campus in years past so this year will be the same.

Lyhus explained, “The gym is huge, [and] the ceilings are high,” so he believed the gym would not overheat. “The capacity for the show is set at 2,500, but that won’t turn it into a sauna.”

Lyhus also clarified that guests are still allowed on campus. In recent weeks, it had been rumored by some students that guests were not allowed on campus for the weekend.

CAT told students that because of the limited capacity for the concert, there will be people turned away. With this in mind, CAT has planned to post screens in Konover to project the concert. This initiative is a step for students who are turned away from the concert.

Though the concert on Friday will be indoors, there are many activities for the weekend that will be held outside, according to Smith. “The only thing we changed was the concert,” she said.

After the meeting, students voiced their reactions to what the CAT board had said. O’Neil stated, “Their answers [to our questions and concerns] seemed kind of like stock or bottled answers.”

Mike Russo, sophomore, noted, “It felt like they were saying their decisions are already final, so it’s kind of a waste of time for us to even try to say anything. The concert is going to be inside no matter what. They said to us that if it goes well, then they have a possibility of holding a ‘Fall Fling,’ and if it doesn’t then they’ll move it back outside.”

Katherine Stearnes, sophomore, added, “It felt like, no matter what we said, they were telling us, ‘We’re not doing that, we’re doing this.’”

Lyhus felt that the meeting as a whole was successful. “I feel it went very well. I wish there were more opportunities to list the building blocks of what we did, but I feel students are much more informed,” he said. He feels that many of the misconceptions were further answered with details.

Lee Peters, Vice President of Student Affairs, said, “No administrator told CAT what to do,” and stated it was more beneficial to move it inside. He also stated that not all of the students attend the concert. Though it is a big crowd, the largest show was in “2004, when the Black Eyed Peas were here.” He stated, “It was a really hot concert,” and he saw roughly 3,500 students there.

Though Spring Fling is still on, some students are still angry about the decision to move the concert. The concert on Friday will still be held in the Sports Center, but all other activities will still be outside.

Smith stated in the beginning of the meeting that students should have attended previous meetings and CAT events to have a say in what happens with Spring Fling. “If you want a say in Spring Fling, why didn’t you get involved in G-board meetings or other CAT events? There are other activities that CAT plans besides Spring Fling,” she asked.

Scott Edwards, senior, responded to that question after the meeting: “It’s not our job to go to meetings and plan events for CAT. It is CAT’s job to plan events that students will show up to… If we don’t like the idea of an event, we won’t show up…So why waste all the time and money planning an event that they know is not popular amongst 90 percent of students? …It doesn’t make sense.”