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Council Plans Barbecue, Concert

Members of the Undergraduate Council celebrated their apparent victory last night in winning administration approval for what some estimated would be the first council event in six years to feature alcohol—a barbecue slated this Tuesday for the Quad.

The council also voted on a list of bands, including Outkast and Justin Timberlake, to be considered as candidates for a council-sponsored concert next fall.

The barbecue, approved two weeks ago on the stipulation that alcohol be served, will be held Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Quad.

Council member Michael S. Gerrity ’05, who proposed the event—originally slated for last week—initially said he thought the barbecue was “highly unlikely” to happen because of the short planning schedule for the event and the administration’s traditional opposition to alcohol at council-sponsored events.

He said the proposal to serve alcohol at the barbecue had symbolic significance, making a public stand against the administration’s anti-alcohol stance.

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But in recent days, the council managed to allay the fears of skeptical administrators, members said.

“We just kept meeting with them,” said council Vice President Jessica R. Stannard-Friel ’04, who called the barbecue “a great first step.”

Stannard-Friel said administrators were worried about student safety and about drunk students disturbing their neighbors.

She said the council responded to these concerns with a compromise on the amount of alcohol to be served.

“I’m more than happy to have the event,” Stannard-Friel said.

She said a successful barbecue will facilitate the council’s efforts to host more events with alcohol in the future.

“They’re going to understand we can have an event with alcohol and people won’t get killed,” said council Campus Life Committee Chair Michael R. Blickstead ’05.

After rubber-stamping the final round of grants for this semester, the council approved two major events for the fall—the big concert promised to students after no headliner band was brought to Springfest, and a Fallfest which council members said would feature a band.

The council passed a long list of acceptable acts for its fall concert, ranging in style from 50 Cent to Weezer and in price from $10,000 (Blackalicious) to $100,000 (Outkast).

Council President Rohit Chopra ’04 said the council is likely to spend between $40,000 and $60,000 on the fall concert.

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