Social committee considers raising Lawnparties guess fees

The USG social committee announced on Sunday night that it is considering plans to raise guest fees for this year’s Lawnparties.

Social committee chair Carla Javier ‘15 asked the Senate for feedback about raising fees from $20 to $25 or $30. The guest fees for graduate students would still be $20, she said.

Javier is also a senior writer for news section of The Daily Princetonian.

“This is called price discrimination,” U-Councillor Elan Kugelmass ‘14 said. “There are clear cohorts of people that are willing to pay different amounts and we should charge as much as we can; that will provide enough room to cover the very substantial cost of putting on this program.”

Javier said increased guest fees could help the social committee draw bigger talent and help the committee create bigger events in the future. She added that guest fees had not proven to decrease the number of guests since the fees were instituted for Lawnparties last spring.

“I get the rationale behind it but I don’t necessarily agree with it,” Academics Chair Dillon Sharp ‘14 said. “I don’t want to make it prohibitive.”

Members’s opinions were taken in a straw poll at the end of the discussion. Two members were in favor of keeping current fees, two members were in favor of raising fees for graduate students and guests at the same level and 14 members were in favor of raising guest fees more than graduate fees.

The Graduate Student Government has not yet been contacted by the social committee regarding these changes.

Class of 2015 senator Deana Davoudiasl updated the Senate on the activities of Tiger Universe, an initiative to promote attendance and spirit at athletic events. In addition to announcing the launch of more social events, Davoudiasl’s report included finalized plans for a point system that would reward students for attending games with prizes at the end of the year.

Class of 2016 senator Ella Cheng spoke in support of a point system rewarding students who attended games.

“I think it would motivate some kids to attend games,” Cheng said. “It gives them that extra boost.”

Cheng is also a staff writer for the news section of the ‘Prince.’

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Class of 2014 senator Charissa Shen said she believed free giveaways would motivate students to attend games they wouldn’t attend otherwise. Class of 2014 senator John McNamara said he thought free giveaways would provide free marketing for Tiger Universe.

U-Councillor Haebin Kim ‘13 reported on the recent Council of Princeton University Community meeting, which featured the introduction of the new OIT vice president, discussion of major construction and renovation projects and review of academic calendar reform plans.

The plan for academic calendar reform includes adding an extra day to the Thanksgiving break. The plan’s fate now lies with the faculty committee, who will have to vote to approve it in order for the plan to go into effect.

“All the major players are for it, so I would expect it to happen this spring,” Sharp said.

The USG voted unanimously to approve an ad hoc committee on programming at Frist Campus Center. The ad hoc committee will examine Frist’s programming and make recommendations to improve the undergraduate social experience in Frist.

A funding request for free fitness classes at Dillon Gymnasium was also passed unanimously. The fund of $2,000 will help pay for classes, marketing, giveaways and promotional material for fitness classes as well as a glow party. According to Undergraduate Life Committee Chair Greg Smith ‘15, approximately 1,200 students took advantage of the week of free fitness classes at the beginning of the semester.