Letters to the Editor

USG not motivated by classism, racism, in organizing concert

Let me be blunt. I am "bothered and offended" by Dan Wachtell '02's column from last Friday attacking the USG for bringing Billy Joel to campus for the Fall Concert. Not because I don't think that Wachtell has the right to criticize our choice of performer, and not because I (nor any other individual USG officer) worships Billy Joel. (We don't.) I am disappointed that Wachtell decided to level very serious charges of race and class bias without the slightest bit of investigation into the situation. This type of slanderous journalism is unacceptable and intolerable, even for a college newspaper.

If Wachtell had taken but five minutes to e-mail me or any other USG officer involved in planning the show, his column would have had at least some sense of the relevant facts of the matter. Indeed, I respond to 95 percent of all of the e-mails I receive from other students and would have been more than happy to outline for him some of the complexities behind planning a large-scale social event. Many factors come into consideration that students might not initially think of; it is not as though each of us lists our favorite band and then we roll the dice. Considerations include who is touring, who is within our price range, who will play at our available venues and whom we think will draw the most students. And if Wachtell would look a little harder at that list that he published of recent performers, including Busta Rhymes, the Indigo Girls, Bob Dylan, The Roots, Willie Nelson, Ben Folds Five, Jon Stewart and Chris Rock, he would notice that there is a rather impressive range of diverse tastes and genres represented.

Perhaps the most important consideration that Wachtell disregarded is that the Billy Joel show could have happened only in Richardson Auditorium. No other venue on campus fit the artist's specifications. Because only 900 students can attend the show, we decided that subsidizing tickets — something that we normally do at least partially (Busta Rhymes) or completely (Willie Nelson) — was inappropriate. Why should all students pay for what only some can attend? Thus, those who are most interested will bear the majority of the show's cost.

Most disturbing, however, was the baseless claim that only rich white students will be interested in the show. If anything is "absurd and incomprehensible," it is Wachtell's intolerant attempt to pigeonhole Princeton students to such a degree. I find it amazing that he has the ability to determine, at his convenience, the precise demographic ("uptown girls") that a particular artist will draw on a particular night. Anyone who saw the line for tickets on Friday can attest that there is a diverse representation of students excited about this show.

The bottom line is that, after a string of free and open shows, the USG has decided to plan one smaller, virtually unsubsidized concert, as is done at many schools for every show. This event will allow us to save some portion of our social budget for the possibility of an inaugural show in the stadium this spring, an event we hope will bring every student on campus together and that we have been planning for the last six months.

I hope that this helps to clarify the decision-making process that we at the USG go through before every event we plan. I would gladly have shared all of this information with Wachtell, as I did with the many students who took the time to ask. It's unfortunate, however, that he would rather level unfounded charges of racism and classism than research his columns. Joe Kochan '02 USG President