DSA director: Too early to decide status of Big Free
Dec. 8, 2006
Department of Student Activities Director Nick Trusty would neither confirm nor deny whether there will be a Big Free Music Festival next semester.
"We haven't thought about it," Trusty said. "It hasn't been on anybody's mind. We haven't put it together. We do not know if Big Free will happen. We have not discussed Big Free at all."
Big Free was first held in 2004. DSA used surplus funds to hold the free concert, which was held in conjunction with KCOU/88.1 FM's Springfest.
Former DSA Director Nick Gertsema said a decision will be made at the beginning of next semester and will be up to the DSA executives that are appointed by Missouri Students Association President-elect Rachel Anderson and Vice President-elect Andrew Cafourek.
Trusty has reapplied for the position of DSA director. If he is reappointed, the final decision regarding Big Free would be his.
Trusty said it is too early to tell whether there will be enough money in the budget to hold Big Free, but outgoing MSA Vice President Brooke Moody said DSA usually plans its events a semester ahead of time.
"All the plans for next semester are pretty much completed," Moody said.
She said in the past DSA has waited to make a decision on Big Free, but will request money from the MSA budget in February.
Moody said Big Free has its own page in the budget, but no money is allocated to it.
"Basically, since it's part of budgeting, it proves the account open if they would like to have it," Moody said. "It was in the budget the year before so I just left it there in case they wanted to do it next year."
Gertsema said when he planned Big Free in 2005, the organization was in communication with The Urge, the headlining band, in December and booked the band in January.
"You can't always start out that early," he said. "It would be nice if someone could predict what will be popular six months from now. Realistically, it's one in a hundred shot."
Trusty said the planning for Big Free would start in early February, if the concert is slated to happen.
He said he doesn't know if or how DSA will assess which artists students would like to see at the concert.
Multicultural Issues Committee Chairwoman Sameera Ali said the bands DSA chose for this semester's concert series did not appeal to a diverse listening audience.
"When they said they cover various demographics of music, you noticed a lot of people who laughed at that," Ali said. "They said, 'Actually you don't because we don't know who those bands are.' There has to be a large input."
Trusty said DSA helps sponsor events put on by the Legion of Black Collegians, International Programming Committee and Triangle Coalition.
"DSA heavily sponsors the TriCo drag show and International Fashion Show," he said.
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