In stark contrast to last year’s Spring Fling which brought lots of ethnomusical diversity to campus on a limited budget, this year’s program, though endowed with an extra $14, 000, will be headlined by three hip-hop acts and a rock band. But it has been a travesty long in the making.

Although it receives more SBC funding than any other student group on campus, the Social Committee is held the least accountable. Its decisions are ultimately up to their own volition and in no way required to reflect the interests of the larger Wes community. In addition, the selection of members is solely up to the discression of
the SBC. The committee is given free reign and about $50,000 to make decisions for the entire student body.

Shouldn’t the student body, whose money is paying for these social events, have a voice in choosing its own entertainment? If, the WSA, which serves as Wesleyan’s political system is decided by campus election, then shouldn’t all those who are in charge of Spring Fling entertainment be as well? Nevermind appointing committee members. Students should not only be allowed to vote on committee members, assuring that only those who wanted the position enough to run would get it, they should also be allowed to vote on a list of entertainers nominated by the committee. While the bands playing this year’s Spring Fling are all good, it’s hard to say that three hip-hop and one rock band are more than a sample of the wide range of student taste.

If students were allowed to choose from a variety of competing Social Committee platforms, they could actually contribute to the spending of their own money. As the Bernstein Affair has shown, that is a difficult privilege to come by at this University. Students should seize this opportunity to make their voices heard and see that
their money is well spent.