By Hector Bello

The Student Government Association (SGA) is deliberating whether they should spend $17,000 of their $30,000 budget on a concert. This appears to be the latest of a series of initiatives on which the SGA has been working during its tenure. Others include opening the library 24 hours a day during midterms and finals, establishing an SGA scholarship, and building a place for students to pray and meditate. If the SGA reaches a final agreement to have a concert, they would have to spend $10,000 to rent the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts to host American rapper, songwriter and television personality Safaree, who would then charge seven thousand dollars to perform. 

SGA president Victoria Antonetti, a physics and math double major, told the Meridian, “We want to make something good to celebrate our student body, faculty and history. So, we came up with a concert. When we’re doing an event and it is something that we would have to spend over $10,000, by responsibility we would have to make at least half of the money back.” To earn this money back, all attendees would be charged an admission fee.

Anthropology, biology and chemistry major and Vice-President of Internal Affairs Erick Peguero proposed the idea of the concert to the SGA. He told the Meridian, “We have two options. Either we bring Safaree for $7,000 or we bring Kesha for $20,000. The only problem with Kesha is that after singing four songs she charges us like if she is performing a full concert.”     

Lehman senior Ramsey Tapia says, “I think it is a good idea to have a concert on campus. Many students want to get involved but don’t know how to do it.” Tapia also expressed doubts about the event. “I don’t know Safaree, so I don’t think that bringing him is going to be useful. I am all for the concert idea, but we should bring a popular artist instead.” 

Until the SGA decides to spend it, the money will stay on reserve. Although a concert would be a way of using the reserve money for perhaps a large number of students to participate in an extracurricular activity, the concert idea is still being negotiated and will not be confirmed until after their April 16 meeting. SGA elections have also been held, April 17-19. Please log in to our website for the latest update on the concert.