Editorial: Lawnparties as a benefit concert

Under this proposal, students would pay a minimal price for a Lawnparties wristband, such as $5. The USG and ODUS would continue to subsidize the concert so that a significant portion of student funds could be allocated to charity. In addition, students would be able to make additional donations above the cost of the wristband, and different student organizations could also be involved in fundraising efforts.

The Board believes that this proposal presents an easy opportunity for community involvement and civic engagement from Princeton students. This proposal combines Princeton’s tradition and commitment to service with one of our most beloved campus-wide events. In addition, this proposal creates opportunity for greater collaboration between the USG, civic engagement groups on campus and the community service chairs at each eating club. Because Lawnparties attracts a large number of students, converting it into a benefit concert would allow Princeton to make a significant contribution to a worthy cause.

An additional advantage for students would be that musical artists might be more inclined to perform at a benefit concert than a typical concert. If established as a charity event, the USG and ODUS could possibly attract artists otherwise out of the University’s budget range. Princeton is a relatively small venue and the USG has relatively limited resources, which complicates efforts to bring major artists to Lawnparties. Students thus stand to gain substantially if converting the concert into a charity event succeeds in attracting more famous artists to Princeton.

Selecting which cause would benefit from Lawnparties would be an important task requiring substantial deliberation. The Board believes the optimal selection process would involve both USG representatives and the student body at large. In particular, we propose that the USG accept solicitations of possible causes from the student body; narrow down those proposed causes to a small number by considering the effectiveness of the charity in question and the kind of work it performs; and ultimately select a charitable organization by creating a system in which the student body has the opportunity to vote on which of the remaining causes should be the beneficiary of Lawnparties. The cause that receives the most student votes should be selected. While we recognize that this selection process is surely not the only feasible system, we do believe it is important to balance the preferences of students with research performed by the USG to ensure that the beneficiary is both popular among the student body and a worthy candidate.

The Board recognizes that some individuals might be concerned that attaching a cost to a Lawnparties wristband would change the event’s character as a unique event that appeals to diverse spectrum of the campus community. We believe that a small fee for wristbands would not present a major financial hurdle for most students and would likely not preclude many from attending. For those students affected by costs, however, the administration could create or adjust its financial offerings to ensure that Lawnparties remains accessible to them. Another possible concern is that the artist hired for Lawnparties might attempt to dictate the cause supported by the benefit concert. The Board finds it reasonable to assume, however, that a cause suitable to the diverse Princeton community would be able to attract artists without serious qualms about the worth of the cause.

Lawnparties can be transformed into an event that contributes to a worthy cause while upholding its appeal as fun and inclusive campus-wide event. Making such a change would only serve to improve one of the major highlights of Princeton’s social calendar.