Some groups to defy SAC

At least two a cappella groups will defy a new Student Activities Council mandate limiting admissions prices to $2 by continuing to charge $5 for their fall shows, the groups said yesterday. The seven undergraduate a cappella groups met yesterday afternoon to discuss the mandatory reduction, but did not devise a unified plan to combat the new rule. Counterparts and Pennsylvania 6-5000 members said at the meeting that they will definitely charge $5 for their shows, Counterparts President Sean Aherne said yesterday. SAC Finance Committee Chairperson Grace Esteban said this week that groups which refuse to lower their ticket prices will lose SAC funding but retain SAC recognition. SAC Chairperson Brandon Fitzgerald said this week that SAC lowered the price because some singing groups were abusing their profits. But Aherne said this ruling by SAC has caused a split in the a cappella community because some groups cannot afford to lose SAC funding. "I'm going to arrange a meeting with SAC Finance sometime before the next SAC meeting to see if this is what they want to accomplish," Aherne said last night. President of Pennchants, Jefrey Pollock, said his group holds only one performance each year and will lose money because of SAC's mandate. "If SAC thinks that is a good idea, then someone's got their head screwed on wrong," the College junior said yesterday. Pollock added that because Pennchants is a subsection of Glee Club, the group does not have the option of withdrawing from SAC. "I can't endanger Glee Club," Pollock said. "If we are forced to charge $2 then I am cancelling the show." Esteban said that one reason for the mandatory ticket price reduction is that some groups have "higher standards" than others. "Some groups can afford to go to Europe while some can only go to New York or can't travel at all," Esteban said. Aherne said that he does not approve of the way the situation was handled. "They mandated this $2 [ruling] without any discussion at all," he said. "They cut our budget and at the same time said we had to lower our prices." Pollock said that the performing arts groups tried to compromise by offering to lower their prices to $4, but SAC gave their compromise "little credence." If nothing is resolved after Aherne meets with SAC Finance, Aherne said he intends to speak about the issue at the next SAC meeting. "We want to forewarn other groups that sometime in the future this could happen to them in whatever way," Aherne said. Aherne added that SAC's ruling is unconstitutional. "It doesn't say specifically anywhere that [SAC is] able to mandate ticket prices or any other type of prices," he said. However Esteban said that the Finance Committee does, in fact, have the right to set standards. In addition to the mandatory reduction in admission prices, SAC has also decreed that each a cappella group may only hold one concert each semester. Fitzgerald said this week the lower prices would also give students more freedom to attend more concerts. But Arts House Board Member Heidi Yudis said yesterday that she would still attend the same concerts even if the admission price remained $5. However, Penn Musicians Against Homelessness Secretary Fan-Fan Yu said she thought the price reduction would bring a larger audience to the performances. "I think more people would be willing to go to more groups if they're going to spend $4 in a weekend instead of $10," the College junior said. "Seriously, what can you get for $2 these days?"

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