This story has been corrected from its original version. Correction appended.
The Student Senate allocated $8,256 of surplus funds Wednesday for a free concert by Swedish-born pop singer Günther to take place Feb. 18 in the EMU Ballroom. Senators also created a committee to determine how to use over-realized funds now totaling $638,288.
The funds come from incidental fee money when more students than expected enroll at the University. Much of the current balance rolled over from last year. So far in summer, fall, and winter terms, the ASUO collected $217,873 more than anticipated.
Senators debated whether to create a new appropriations committee to determine what to do with the funds or let the existing finance committee handle it.
Sen. Nate Gulley said last year’s committee was “by far the most productive moment of Senate.” The committee interacted with students who were not regularly involved in student government, he said.
“It was intense, but it was great. Every time we voted we were voting for something big,” he said.
ASUO President Emily McLain muttered, “It was miserable.”
Sen. Kyle McKenzie said the Senate Finance Committee could handle the responsibility. He asked why the Senate needed another committee when “finance committee doesn’t do anything.” He also questioned why the money should be spent and said last year “the appropriations committee was dysfunctional, at best.”
Gulley said former Senate President Sara Hamilton had encouraged creating the committee so students would have a say in how the money was spent.
Sen. Lee Warnecke said the best thing for the committee to do would be to not spend the money and instead put it toward lowering the incidental fee.
In the end, 13 senators voted to form the committee. Sen. Dan Feldman abstained and Senate Vice President Donnie Kim voted against it.
Senate President Athan Papailiou said he “would like to see the Student Senate determine an effective way that can prevent this continual over-taxation” of students.
‘Günther thanks you’
Bringing Günther to campus had been talked about at several Senate meetings last term by members of Club Persia. Günther, whose real name is Mats Söderlund, performs with a female duo, collectively known as Günther and the Sunshine Girls.’
Günther’s management has ties to the Iranian-American community and members of Club Persia recently attended a concert for free and met the singer.
The club booked the ballroom for what club representative Kaveh Ghafarzade said would be a Valentines Day show featuring a Günther look-a-like contest. (Interested students should know Günther sports a mullet, thin mustache, large sunglasses, and silk scarves.)
The club requested about $5,000 last fall and promised to do fundraising. Ghafarzade said they were planning to charge $5 or $10 for tickets at the time, but Günther wanted the show to be free for students. Günther’s fair market value is $16,000 and he often earns $20,000 or more per show, Ghafarzade said.
Club Persia had only $1,016 in fundraising as of Wednesday’s meeting. That included money donated by Iranian business owners and the sale of a foosball table and snowboards on craigslist.org.
While some senators seemed uncomfortable with the amount of money, many were visibly excited about seeing Günther, whose life consists mainly of “champagne, love, sex, and respect,” according to his Web site.
Twelve senators voted for the allocation. Sens. Kate Jones, Nick Meyers, and Kim did not.
Ghafarzade thanked the Senate and said, “Günther thanks you all as well. Very much.”
[email protected]
Due to a reporter’s error, in the original posting of this story, the date of the Günther concert to be held in the EMU Ballroom was incorrectly reported. The concert will be held on Feb. 18. The Emerald regrets the error.
