Associated Students (AS) moved closer Tuesday to clearing the $40,000 debt accumulated by Student Production and Campus Entertainment (SPACE) for the annual Big Show concert.
In a 17-1 vote, the board voted to transfer $20,000 from senator stipends that were left idle from vacated seats or seats that had been left unfilled, and $6,000 from No Bull magazine, an unsuccessful pilot project from last year that has been left out of next year’s annual budget.
Business and economics senator Montana Pham abstained from the vote.
‘I don’t like the situation,’ said John Barry Neilan III, science and math senator. ‘We’re taking money that could otherwise go to other places. After speaking with directors of SPACE and finance, this is the best way to go.’
‘This is a raw deal,’ said Senator Abel Pacheco, who added that senator stipends were cut at the beginning of the year.
SPACE received $12,000 at the beginning of the semester to begin covering the debt, said executive director Audrey Younna.
SPACE would still need to find $2,000 to cover its remaining debt said lower division senator Conor Lansdale, who objected to what he called the ‘Big Show bailout.’
‘We have known for a few months now that we were going to have to figure some way to cover that debt,’ Lansdale said. ‘If we didn’t do this action today and we let it carry over, SPACE would have all their accounts frozen until their debts are eliminated.’
SPACE fell short in its expectations in revenue from ticket sales for last year’s show, Lansdale said.
‘Their hopes and dreams were riding on ticket sales from outside students because they didn’t want students to have to pay for a ticket,’ he said. ‘They had no backup plan.’
Lansdale cited improved marketing, especially among campus residents, and a bigger turnout from CSUN students and outside guests as ways to justify the Big Show’s growing budget.
‘Until they figure out how to get everyone from the dorms and then some people from CSUN, they really should rethink how big this program should be,’ he said.
SPACE executive director Audrey Younna could not be reached for further comment.
The annual Big Show, held in October, has previously brought in major music acts such as Ludacris, Ne-Yo and Jimmy Eat World.
