De La Soul Wins Council Contract For Charity Show

After almost three weeks of subcommittee politicking, the Undergraduate Council unanimously approved a contract for a spring concert by De La Soul at a meeting last night.

The appearance of the rap and hip-hop group may give the council a chance to redeem itself for two years' worth of concerts by big-time performers that have been big-time flops.

The vote finalized a $10,000 deal to showcase De La Soul in the council's "Rock for Shelter" charity concert on May 1. The decision comes after a week of in-fighting on the council that ranged into impassioned appeals and sometimes into personal attacks on the council's treasurer.

Treasurer Michael P. Beys '94, who procured the original De La Soul agreement, said afterwards that yesterday's vote was a triumph of student body interests over council skepticism.

"This is a huge turning point in the council's history. The council made a conscious, well-informed decision that we want another shot at proving we can pull off a big concert," Beys said afterwards in an interview with The Crimson.

In a hastily-called meeting two days before Spring Break, the council approved Beys' last-minute De La Soul plan, 41-12, by a somewhat unorthodox telephone poll. Beys said that last night's reaffirmation of the deal by the full council sets the record straight.

The De La Soul arrangement is now official,Beys said. The only remaining question is whetherthe University administration will live up to averbal agreement to rent Bright Hockey Arena tothe council for the event.

Associate Director of Athletics Robert Malekoffwill give the council the word on the venue today,according to Beys and former Secretary Nhan T. Vu'92-93, who dealt with financial questions at lastnight's meeting.

The most vocal opposition to the resolutioncame from former Chair Robert C. Rhew '92, whosaid he was concerned that the De La Soulconcert--with its financial success contingent onselling 2000 tickets--could fail to raise fundsfor the homeless.

Vu said that a "conservative" projection putthe concert's revenue at $35,000 and costs at$23,000, leaving proceeds of $12,000 to benefitthe homeless.

In February Rhew and concert planner John K.Holena '94 obtained commitments from threelesser-known bands for a small-scale benefitconcert in Memorial Hall.

Though they said they were not opposed to alarge-scale show, Rhew and Holena said theybelieved the time constraints and financial risksinvolved in the De La Soul deal go against thepurpose of Rock for Shelter.

"It is a gamble, and the homeless are the onesthat are going to pay for the gamble if it fails,"Rhew said in last night's 90-minute debate.

Beys, who came under fire early in the semesterfor pushing the council to endorse a Spin Doctorsconcert financed by him and a roommate, said thecouncil's decision and the support of Rock forShelter Founder Mary E. Dibbern '92 clears hisname.

"This is poetic justice," Beys said in theinterview afterwards. "Whatever mistakes I madewith the Spin Doctors ... were redeemed by theunanimous vote. The council knows that the lastthree weeks of work and fighting have been for thesake of the students."

But in an interview with The Crimson late lastnight, Rhew said he thought the fact that thedecision had to be deferred to the entire councilserved to reprimand Beys for bypassing standardprocedures last month.

"By going around the rules, Mike created a lotof difficulties that the committee had to resolve,difficulties that should have been worked out incommittee," said Rhew, who along with severalothers stand firm in their belief that the March18 vote was unconstitutional.

An amendment to last night's resolutionrequires all corporate donations to directly aidthe homeless rather than compensate the council ifthe concert loses money.

But Beys, portraying himself as a force for bigplans and initiative in a sea of bureaucraticmediocrity, said De La Soul may serve to reversethe council's poor track record for springconcerts.

"Will we live in the shadows of [1989 and 1990concerts by] Ziggy Marley and Suzanne Vega and actcautiously and conservatively, always fearful offailure?" Beys said in a prepared speech. "Or willwe decide to jump on a golden opportunity to putthe council back on the map and silence theskeptics?

The De La Soul arrangement is now official,Beys said. The only remaining question is whetherthe University administration will live up to averbal agreement to rent Bright Hockey Arena tothe council for the event.

Associate Director of Athletics Robert Malekoffwill give the council the word on the venue today,according to Beys and former Secretary Nhan T. Vu'92-93, who dealt with financial questions at lastnight's meeting.

The most vocal opposition to the resolutioncame from former Chair Robert C. Rhew '92, whosaid he was concerned that the De La Soulconcert--with its financial success contingent onselling 2000 tickets--could fail to raise fundsfor the homeless.

Vu said that a "conservative" projection putthe concert's revenue at $35,000 and costs at$23,000, leaving proceeds of $12,000 to benefitthe homeless.

In February Rhew and concert planner John K.Holena '94 obtained commitments from threelesser-known bands for a small-scale benefitconcert in Memorial Hall.

Though they said they were not opposed to alarge-scale show, Rhew and Holena said theybelieved the time constraints and financial risksinvolved in the De La Soul deal go against thepurpose of Rock for Shelter.

"It is a gamble, and the homeless are the onesthat are going to pay for the gamble if it fails,"Rhew said in last night's 90-minute debate.

Beys, who came under fire early in the semesterfor pushing the council to endorse a Spin Doctorsconcert financed by him and a roommate, said thecouncil's decision and the support of Rock forShelter Founder Mary E. Dibbern '92 clears hisname.

"This is poetic justice," Beys said in theinterview afterwards. "Whatever mistakes I madewith the Spin Doctors ... were redeemed by theunanimous vote. The council knows that the lastthree weeks of work and fighting have been for thesake of the students."

But in an interview with The Crimson late lastnight, Rhew said he thought the fact that thedecision had to be deferred to the entire councilserved to reprimand Beys for bypassing standardprocedures last month.

"By going around the rules, Mike created a lotof difficulties that the committee had to resolve,difficulties that should have been worked out incommittee," said Rhew, who along with severalothers stand firm in their belief that the March18 vote was unconstitutional.

An amendment to last night's resolutionrequires all corporate donations to directly aidthe homeless rather than compensate the council ifthe concert loses money.

But Beys, portraying himself as a force for bigplans and initiative in a sea of bureaucraticmediocrity, said De La Soul may serve to reversethe council's poor track record for springconcerts.

"Will we live in the shadows of [1989 and 1990concerts by] Ziggy Marley and Suzanne Vega and actcautiously and conservatively, always fearful offailure?" Beys said in a prepared speech. "Or willwe decide to jump on a golden opportunity to putthe council back on the map and silence theskeptics?