Beach Blast blows $56,260

Beach Blast '99, the concert featuring Smashmouth held in The Pyramid last semester, failed to blast off.

In an Associated Students Senate meeting held Feb. 28, Richard Haller, chief administrative officer of Associated Students Inc. disclosed that the Nov. 2 event resulted in a loss of $56,260.

"That's a lot of money to lose," said junior criminology major Jason Wells, who attended the concert. "But, they did alright for their first try and I think it was a good idea."

The overall production of the first major concert sponsored by A.S.I. cost the student organization $83,740, Haller said. The event sold 1,476 tickets for a concert in a venue that seats up to 5,000. Ticket prices for the concert that also featured Black Eyed Peas and Reel Big Fish ranged from $15 to $25.

Despite the deficit, Haller said, A.S.I. should continue trying to bring entertainment events to CSULB.

"Overall, these kinds of events are good for the university," Haller said. "In the future, we should start smaller and work our way up because it will take time and experience before we can break even on things like this."

A.S.I. Treasurer Rochelle Williams said that unless there is a $56,000 surplus at the end of the academic year, the money to cover this deficit will come from reserve funds.

Williams explained that the reserve is similar to a savings account. Each semester, funds are allocated to the various departments, affiliates and employees of A.S.I. At the end of the semester, any unused funds are placed into reserves, which currently holds more than $250,000.

However, money to cover the concert deficit will come from surplus reserves that have recently been released to A.S.I. from campus administration, Williams said.

"This is A.S.I. money from years past that has been sitting in an account over in Brotman Hall collecting interest," Williams said. "It's always preferable to use surplus reserves before regular reserves to balance the budget."

A.S.I. President Toby Sexton said money was never the driving force behind the event.

"The purpose wasn't to make money," Sexton said, "it was to put on a good show for CSULB students."

Sexton also said he encountered many hassles while gaining approval of artists and a facility for the event.

"The problem with our campus is that it's expensive," Sexton said. "There's also a lot of bureaucracy involved in putting on a concert here."

Sexton added that the Beach Pride Referendum that will raise student A.S.I. fees by $21 if passed during elections March 27-29, has nothing to do with the concert deficit because it deals only with funding programs of the Athletic Department.