After it received less-than-stellar reviews last year, the committee responsible for managing the LDOC celebration announced Thursday that it is committed to pursuing new strategies for improvement.
Senior Will Benesh, co-chair of the Last Day Of Classes Committee, and sophomore Alex Shapanka, LDOC chief financial officer, presented a budget proposal to Campus Council and requested a $20,000 contribution.
“This is one thing students look forward to every year,” Benesh said. “We’re trying to get everything done beforehand—security, grounds and safety costs are fixed. Only artists costs are fluid.”
As it did last year, Campus Council voted to allocate $15,000 to the LDOC committee.
Benesh attributed the increased request for funding to the costs of additional security and the “ballooning of artist’s costs.” Jay Sean, Rooney and Flogging Molly cost the committee approximately $68,000 last year, but Shapanka said LDOC’s artist costs were $90,000 and $100,000 in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Banesh said the committee hopes to increase the quality of artists this year and called 2011 a “transition year” for LDOC.
Two years ago, LDOC went $13,000 over budget and received a no-interest loan from Duke University Union to cover the costs. The LDOC Committee repaid the loan last year from its annual LDOC fee allocation, but accepted an optional $5,000 loan from DUU to somewhat lessen the burden of a reduced budget. Banesh said the committee was able to pay back its loans in part through revenue generated through T-shirt sales.
This year’s committee is debt-free and looking to improve the quality of its artists and explore new sources of revenue, Banesh noted.
Shapanka said the administration is unable to give LDOC funding this year but is considering changing bylaws to allow for contributions in the future.
In other business:
The Pets on Central program is to be continued for another year. The council heard suggestions to extend the program to include dogs as well as to move it to other apartments on Central Campus. Currently, Pets on Central is restricted to 12 apartments at 205 Oregon Street. Only four students have chosen to house their animal companions.
“The program hasn’t been evaluated yet because we’re only two months in,” said sophomore and Campus Council ad-hoc member, Rohan Taneja, who introduced the policy suggestions. Taneja is also a contributing writer for The Chronicle.
The council decided to delay any changes until there is more information available about the program’s success and its physical effect on apartments.
Additionally, Devil’s Eve, Campus Council’s annual Halloween celebration, will take place Oct. 30 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m on the Main Quadrangle, said programming chair Betsy Klein, a junior.
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