Students express concerns, ideas at Spring Daze open forums

Student Senate hosted open forums to discuss the Spring Daze festival Thursday and Monday. There were 10 students at the forum Thursday and seven students at the forum Monday. Senate allocated $35,300 for Spring Daze at Senate’s regularly scheduled meeting Monday.

Zach West, junior of Ordway, Colorado, voiced concerns Thursday about Senate pushing to advertise the few days leading up to Spring Daze and asked what they are going to do in the weeks leading up to the event. Hurley replied that posters and banners will be hung up around campus and in Chadron and surrounding areas. They will also be going door-to-door and on social media to inform people of the event.

Senate planned to buy hats, sunglasses, and rubber bracelets to add to the “swag” items but students at the forums suggested spending the money planned for those on more activities. The activities they suggested were mini golf, ultimate frisbee, life-size jenga, and lawn games.

The budget for advertising is $664 for eight weeks for The Chadron Record, $1400 for eight weeks for the Scottsbluff Star Herald, $120 for two banners, and $325 for 500 posters for a total of $2,509. Spring Daze will also be advertised on the radio, the CSC newsletter, CSC TV slides, and the Sakai slideshow.

The total budget for “swag” items $6,475.07. This number includes men’s tank tops, women’s racerbacks, and T-shirts. The total budget for activities is $2,600.

The budget for bands is $100 for The Birds, $1,000 for Blue Street, $5,000 for Cruisr, $600 for Back Roads, $800 for Funk Nasty, $3,000 for New Beat Fund, and $3,000 for Cheat Codes for a total of $13,500 plus $10,000 for a stage trailer. The stage trailer includes the stage, lights, sound equipment, and a crew that works it. The bands will play from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. in the amphitheater.

The budget for booths is $670.25. Booths include sack races, hair wrapping, food tasting, carnival games, pie RA in the face, face painting, karaoke, photo booth, life size chess, and balloon animals. The booths will set up from 6-8 a.m., be open at 10 a.m., and close at 5 p.m.

Senate plans to earn up to 60 percent of the funds back in sponsorships, sales, and selling swag items to the public. Students will be given either a T-shirt or tank top for free.

The festival is free to students, faculty, and staff but is $5 for adults and $3 for veterans, senior citizens, and children ages 5 to 12. Instead of paying, the community can donate non-perishable food items (five for adults and three for veterans, senior citizens, and children ages 5 to 12) for the food bank Senate is starting.

The committee has talked to 22 businesses about sponsorships so far.

The annual Nearly Naked Mile is on April 28. The Party at the Pavilion, which was originally planned for last semester but was canceled to unexpected weather problems, will be at the Rangeland Center from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. April 29. Spring Daze “swag” items will be handed out at the NNM and The Party at the Pavilion. The bands, booths, and other activities will be April 30. Senate is planning for no less than 1,000 people in attendance but no more than 3,000.

Spring Daze used to be a week long event throughout Chadron and campus. Senate is trying to bring the tradition back.

Other than in Chadron, Spring Daze will be advertised in Scottsbluff, Alliance, Hemingford, Rushville, Gordon, Crawford, and Rapid City, South Dakota, to draw in more of the general public.

There will be parking at Wal-Mart and Safeway, and shuttle buses will bring people to campus. Parking begins at 9 a.m.

Participants have to sign a waiver to get a wristband in order to participate in any booth or activity. Students who play games will receive tickets to go in a drawing for prizes.

Senate has the entire campus reserved for April 30 so if the weather is bad, the activities will be inside.