Sunday April 13, the Free Admissions Policy Review Committee released a report regarding this semester’s free admissions policy to events funded by F-board. Union Treasurer Choon Woo Ha ’08 created the committee to create a policy recommendation.
The committee included Assistant Treasurer and committee chair Jahfree Duncan ’09, Assistant Treasurer Deb Laufer ’09, Jennifer Diakun ’08, Andrew Franks ’09, Tatyana Kostochka ’11, and Richa Sahay ’09.
The report recommends that clubs be able to charge admissions fees to events next semester. The report details guidelines for admissions charges. For events that are fully funded by the F-board, the committee recommends that clubs charge no more than $3 per ticket. Events which raise money for charity may charge up to $5 if 100% of their proceeds are donated to charity.
Duncan explained nearly 70% of the 283 students who filled out a survey on the free admissions policy “felt that free admissions should be extended.”
However, because the free admissions policy hindered clubs’ ability to add money to their fundraising accounts, Duncan felt it important to allow clubs to charge admissions to event. “I think fundraising accounts are very important to undergraduate clubs,” he said.
“Fundraising is that extra level of student autonomy,” he added. Preventing clubs from accruing monies in their fundraising accounts through a free admissions policy, Duncan remark, “is an unfair restraint on clubs.”
“I was fine with no ticket costs,” said Brandeis Players treasurer Mike Martin ’09, “but the one thing that happened was that it prevented any money to pay for certain fees and unexpected expenses, which happens quite often with shows.”
While Duncan defined the free admissions policy as a boon to students, he stated that it is “unfair to club leaders.”
“Club leaders,” he said, “are the most important part of student government.”
In order to compromise the need for clubs to raise money and students’ need for inexpensive entertainment, Duncan and the committee settled upon a $3 ceiling for most events. “Three dollars instead of five has some effect on the amount of money students shell out of their pockets,” he said.
