Following the debate between SFSS board members and Food and Beverage Services general manager, John Flipse, over whether or not the Highland Pub should charge cover on Wings Wednesday, the SFSS board of directors has come to a resolution.
The board has decided to allow event bookings with the stipulation that cover not be charged before 9:00 p.m. and that those who enter the pub before the cut off will not have to pay to stay. The pub had just recently starting booking events regularly on Wednesday nights, which allows clubs and DSUs to play host and charge cover at the door in exchange for paying half of the pub’s security fees for the night.
In order to allow this and still cover some of the security fees that clubs and DSUs pay when they book events, the SFSS will be offering a pub sponsorship package to clubs who demonstrate a need for financial assistance with throwing their event. The financing will come from an existing fund that has already been budgeted.
A stipulation with the sponsorship package requires clubs to attract a certain number of people to their event in order to gain funding.
The funds from the SFSS will cover half of the security costs for events, approximately $575, as well as $50 for advertising. The decision to contribute the funding to clubs hosting events comes after the SFSS Commercial Services Committee passed a motion recommending to Flipse to not charge cover before 9:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Events on different nights will not be subject to the cut-off rule.
Formerly, when patrons wished to remain inside the pub on Wednesdays when clubs were hosting events, they were required to pay half of the cover being charged at the door. The SFSS subsidy will alleviate the need for this charge.
Moe Kopahi, SFSS member services officer, pointed to an event two weeks ago, hosted by the the fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi where the group fundraised $1,300 in four hours, as an example that student groups will still be able to fundraise large amounts under the system.
There is a stipulation with the sponsorship package that requires clubs and DSUs to attract a certain number of people to their event in order to gain funding from the SFSS, in order to incentivize them to promote heavily. Kopahi indicated that they are currently working on a table to account for different attendance possibilities.
Kopahi sees the arrangement as a good compromise between Flipse’s attempts to lessen the pub’s deficit, and the SFSS’s aim to meet student needs.
