What happened to BAVA?

What happened to BAVA Fest? Why has the most popular spring concert event at Georgia College & State University been cancelled for this year?
According to Ron Lunk, assistant director for Student Activities at GC&SU, the decision was made because Bobcat Nights, the weekend event series, would be more profitable to students in the long run.
“SABC (Student Advisory Budget Committee), which is a committee that allocates money to different areas of the university, had a choice to fund Bobcat Nights or BAVA Fest to the area of student activities,” said Lunk. “After looking at the proposals for each, it was decided that Bobcat Nights would be a better choice because it was more representative of the things that the university wanted to see from Student Activities.”
Last spring, when the proposals were sent to SABC, a survey was distributed to the student body to help make the decision between the two events. According to Lunk, the campus was split 50/50.
“There are many students out there that feel that their Student Activity fee is being spent on something that they will not or cannot participate in,” said Lunk. “What students need to understand is that those fees are taken and used for the greater good of all students here at GC&SU, and SABC felt that Bobcat Nights was more beneficial to the greater good.”
In October 2003, Student Activities sent two requests to SABC for special allocations: one for Bobcat Nights, and one for BAVA Fest. According to Mike Madison, SABC board member and vice president of the Student Government Association, Bobcat Nights was chosen over BAVA Fest because SABC felt like it would be more profitable over the long run and they thought that it was a better use of funds for Student Activities.
“Basically, with Bobcat Nights you get more bang for your buck,” said Madison. “Bobcat Nights is also more recurring, every other weekend or so, but it’s just a budget thing. We don’t have nearly enough funds to put on a potentially $60,000 concert. It’s just not in the books.”
BAVA Fest has hosted bands such as Lil’ Jon and the Eastside Boyz, Edwin McCain, and locally known Davis Street. However, we don’t have to say goodbye to BAVA forever. Madison says that it could be up for consideration next year.
“On next year’s board, BAVA Fest will definitely be discussed. If it is within our budget means, and we think there will be student participation, then BAVA Fest could surely come back,” said Madison.
Until then, BAVA Fest will remain a distant memory of GC&SU’s past.
“It’s a battle. Unfortunately, it’s just not in the budget to bring someone like Outkast to our campus,” said Lunk.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 2 2004. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry