Exec VP 1
UAC Executive Vice-President
What do you do?
- You are in charge of intra-UAC administrative stuff.
- scheduling g-board meetings
- scheduling e-board meetings
- setting the semester schedule for the rehearsal room
- You are also in charge of UAC special events
- Festifall
- Winterfest
- Retreats
- Diag Days, all-UAC shows, or any other UAC productions
- UAC Rush Ticket Sale
- UAC special events funding/co-sponsorships (you work with the VP of External
Relations on some of this)
- You are the primary liaison between the g-board and the e-board
- Maintain a good relationship with all g-board members
- Have a general idea about what is going on with all the committees and be the eboard’s resource when making policy decisions.
- Each e-board member is advisor to three committees, but the Exec-VP is the
general advisor to all committees…
-
If there is a committee that needs help or advice, you are the first line of defense,
BUT your job is not to handle crises by yourself! Call in your fellow e-board
members as you need them. Mary is also a great resource and always willing to
help.
Exec VP 2
UAC Executive Board
What does everybody else do?
President: He/she is the bureaucratic and administrative head of UAC. The President does
all the negotiation with the University and a lot of ensuing paperwork. The president
usually presides over the general board meetings and executive board meetings as
facilitator and keeper of the peace. The president is the face of UAC, responsible for
damage control and keeping up our reputation. If there are any huge problems, contact
him immediately!
Vice-President of Finance: He/she is completely in charge of budgets. The VP Finance
gets all the budgets from the committees and keeps them on file, tracking all purchases
and allocations of money. There’s also lots of paperwork in this job.
Vice-President of External Relations: He/she is supposed to foster cooperation between
UAC and other student groups on campus. The VP External Relations is supposed to
have a good knowledge of what is going on on campus, have connections to other groups,
and be able to network effectively. He/she is also in charge of co-sponsorship agreements
and allocations of funding to groups whose events UAC is co-sponsoring.
Vice-President of Marketing: He/she is in charge of all general UAC marketing and
advertising and acts as advisor to individual committee marketing heads. The VPMarketing also arranges for paid advertising in UAC publications (program booklets,
E3W, etc.).
Mary: Mary is our wonderful secretary. She has been with UAC for decades and knows
everything that has gone on. She can help you with any administrative help you need- if
you have any questions about policy, Union scheduling, mail, reimbursements, or
anything else, she probably knows the answer or knows who to ask.
Susan: Susan is our advisor from the office of SAL (Student Activities and Leadership).
Simply said, she knows everything about the University and the history of UAC. She’s
fun and very, very helpful. If you’re feeling clueless, hopeless, stressed out, or just
confused, call her up or send her an email to schedule a meeting- she is immensely
helpful. She tries to attend most g-board and e-board meetings and is always available by
email: sawilson@umich.edu)
Exec VP 3
General UAC Policies
Keys:
Every e-board member gets his or her own set of keys- one to the office and one to the eboard meeting room. Every g-board and e-board member is on the key list at the CIC
information desk on the first floor of the Union. They all have access to the main office
key and some, with e-board permission, have access to the e-board room key. To get the
keys at the CIC desk, you have to show UM-ID and leave your license with them.
Computers:
The computers are all connected to the internet and do not have UM logins. You can log
in to any of the computers using UAC as the login name and leaving the password field
blank. If you want to create an e-board only account (ie, for keeping budgets), you can do
that too (but you’ll have to ask Steve Skripnik how, sskripni@umich.edu, because I have
no idea). The Mac has all sorts of publishing software on it (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop)
and film editing software,, as well as the Microsoft Office suite. The black PC has a
general UAC account as well as the M-agination Films account, which has editing and
other cinema software on it. The old white PC has your basic computer package on it.
On each of the computers, each committee and each e-board member has his or her own
folder. Make sure people always save stuff to their own folders, instead of on the desktop.
Mary’s Chair/Desk
Mary is very protective of her chair and desk. She knows where everything is and doesn’t
like it to be disturbed. So do NOT use her computer unless you have discussed it with her
and do NOT move her chair! She locks her desk at night, so if there is anything in it that
you need, make arrangements with her ahead of time.
Rooms
The e-board room.
The room really isn’t as exclusive as it sounds. The e-board meets in it usually,
but other committees may need to use it for interviews, storage (like stuff for minicourses and Amazin’ Blue’s sound equipment), or extra rehearsal space.
There is a safe to which only Mary knows the combination. If you have anything
small and very valuable in the office, have her keep it in there. There is also a fax
machine in the office.
The rehearsal room
Flip forward a few pages.
The Office
Each committee has it's own shelf space and cubby. Everyone is really free to use
the office whenever they like- there are rarely conflicts. It’s usually pretty messy, but oh
well, that’s life.
Exec VP 4
USE the General Board!
Sometimes UAC groups need to help each other out, so use the board members! It’s hard
to convince them sometimes, but stay on them- make it a requirement. For instance,
during registration time, mini-courses needs help flyering and handing out info forms on
the diag. During Festifall, you need people to man the table all day and help you set up.
Recruit people to pull their own weight for UAC!
Promotional Materials:
This is mainly the VP of Marketing’s domain, but if you get involved, here is the
information. For t-shirts and anything else with our logo printed on it, there are two
places you can go.
1) www.branders.com
These guys have our logo on file and can make anything you want with it. This is
where we ordered our cups and pens
2) Patricia Pardon
email ppardon@northwaymarketing.com
http://www.northwaymarketing.com
Name Droppers (Northway Marketing)
916 Greene Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-3212
Phone: 734-761-5944
Fax: 734-663-2637
Send files as an EPS file (Adobe Illustrator) if possible. This woman has helped us make
some killer t-shirts in the past, but they can print our logo on nearly anything.
4) www.fipjob.com
This is the website of our local printer, First Impressions Printing (more
information in the printing section of your packet). Our contact there is Steve Weaver,
who is very helpful, if a little cranky sometimes. He is always willing to talk on the
phone and meet with you personally, because we have had a good relationship with him
for years.
3) www.nextdayflyers.com
Apparently these guys are fantastic- cheap, full-color flyers and handouts. ComCo
got some of their flyers for their show “Pimprov” that were amazing. Definitely try to
compare prices between this website and our usual printer.
Exec VP 5
Intra-UAC Administration
G-board Meetings
What are they?
It is customary for the general board of UAC (2 representatives, usually the leaders, from
each committee, plus the entire executive board, Mary, and our advisor, Susan) to meet
for an hour every one or two weeks to discuss UAC business, get to know one another,
and announce events and updates. The main purpose of these meetings is to create unity,
so that UAC is not just 14 committees, but a whole organization.
How often?
The e-board decides how often the g-board will meet. It used to meet weekly, but
attendance was dropping due to a lack of real productivity at the meetings. The new biweekly system has worked well, because then people have enough issues to discuss and
upcoming events to announce to fill an hour.
Where?
Meetings can be held wherever you choose. We used to hold it in various Union meeting
rooms, but it became confusing, since the room changed every time. We started holding
g-board meetings in the UAC rehearsal room and find it to be much nicer. It is nice to
have everyone in the office at once and to have immediate access to the computers and
other resources in the office, if we need them during the meeting. Also, this way, you
don’t have to worry about Union scheduling policies, which can be obnoxious.
When?
It is hard to find a time when the entire g-board is free to meet. 2 weeks before the
beginning of the next semester, when everybody should have a tentative schedule set,
send out an email and request everybody’s schedule. Then, try to find a meeting time
when most or all people can make it. Try to make sure that at least one member of each
committee can be present. Also, try to make it before 6pm, as it is inconvenient for Mary
to be there otherwise. Mary takes attendance and meeting minutes and emails them outvery helpful.
Miscellaneous:
We were racking our brains to find a way for people to come to the meeting. The only
thing that we have found (that only works for some people) is to make g-boar d members
feel accountable for being there. Have any members email you ahead of time, if they will
be absent. If you can think of some incentive for g-board members to attend meetings (ie.
A pizza party for the entire committee whose g-board members have perfect attendance),
then fantastic!
Exec VP 6
Intra-UAC Administration
E-board Meetings
What?
E-board meetings generally consist of troubleshooting (when problems come up with
committees or university administration), money matters (approving and checking up on
committee budgets), legislative decisions (setting precedents for UAC policies), and
anything else that might come up.
When?
E-board meetings are far less complicated than g-board meetings, because there are only
6 people involved (including Susan). Find a time when you all can meet for two hours or
more- these meetings tend to be lengthy, because there is always a lot to discuss. You
may also choose to meet twice a week. Our meetings were Monday evenings 6-8pm (or
later) and every other Wednesday when the g-board didn’t meet.
When you email out for schedules, just set up an e-board meeting time at the same time.
Mary likes it when e-board members hold office hours. We didn’t do that this year, but it
might come in handy for you. She likes to know exactly when you will be in the office
one day a week during business hours, so she can tell people who call the office for you
when to call back to reach you, when you are free to meet, etc. Cellphones have kind of
made this policy obsolete, though, since most people are constantly reachable.
Where?
The e-board meeting room is in the UAC office, but its own separate space with a locking
door, Ethernet ports, a fridge, fax-machine, filing cabinets, and storage space for lots of
valuable and rarely-used UAC stuff. Other committees may use this space, if you agree to
it.
Exec VP 7
Intra-UAC Administration
The Rehearsal Room
What?
The rehearsal room is open for use to all UAC committees. Priority, however, is given to
those committees who need the room for a special reason, these being Amazin’ Blue and
Impact. Amazin’ Blue requires use of a piano during rehearsals and Impact needs the
mirror and wooden floor, as dance space on campus is scarce. ComCo , Michigan Pops,
and other groups like having rehearsal time as well, but they are more flexible about the
space they can use.
When?
Send an email to the g-board two weeks before the beginning of the new semester
requesting the times when each committee wants the rehearsal room. Figure out what
works and what conflicts and have those committees work it out with each other. Make
sure to schedule in the g-board meetings, if you decide to use the rehearsal room!
Miscellaneous:
There is to be no food or drink left in the rehearsal room. If stuff spills and gets on the
wood floor, we don’t have money to replace it. Be strict about this policy!
The rehearsal room is always unlocked, so anybody
Exec VP 8
UAC Special Events
Festifall
What?
At the beginning of every fall semester (usually the first Thursday of classes), there is
Festifall on the Diag. All the student groups have tables set out to hand out information
and stuff- it’s crazy.
How?
You have to sign up for tables at Festifall at the SAL (Student Activities and
Leadership… www.umich.edu/~salead ) office on the 2nd floor of the Union in the
hallway by the ballroom. The administrative guy in charge there, Ray Wixon
(rwixon@umich.edu) does all the signup stuff. Signup starts in February and we are
already set for Fall 2004. You will get an email from him in late August about Festifall
procedures.
Scheduling:
You are going to need a LOT of help. UAC usually has 2 or 3 tables and there is a lot to
do! Either at the first g-board meeting (if it is before Thursday) or by email, make it
mandatory for each g-board member to man the table for at least one hour that day
(Festifall goes from 10am-4pm, but there is also setup and tear down…so really, 9am5pm).
Sometimes, you can apply for performance slots on the Diag during Festifall. Ask around
and see if any of the committees want to perform, then talk to Ray Wixon about times,
planning, and scheduling.
What you need…
Buy batteries! Because you want to take down a working UAC boombox to play
Michigan Pops and Amazin’ Blue CD’s during the day.
Signup sheets- the point of Festifall is to get people interested. Have signup sheets for all
the committees (they are saved in the E-board => Executive-VP => 2004-5) on the white
PC. Also have a UAC-general signup sheet (though everyone who signs up on a
committee sheet will be added to the uac.info@umich.edu email list anyway).
For the tables, there is a UAC banner (blue and yellow shiny vinyl) in the e-board office.
You will need string and strong tape to put it up.
Candy- food gets people’s attention. The banner says “Freshen up your free time”, so
maybe try mints? Get whatever you like.
Lots of copies of UAC marketing materials… Have committees give you their own
quarter sheets/flyers for mass-meetings ahead of time, so you can stuff giveaway cups
Exec VP 9
Setup:
In order to get tables and things, someone should be in line on the Diag at 9am. Assign
someone this job. Have two other people to help you cart things down from the office to
the Diag. We have a dolly that might come in handy for carrying large boxes and the
billboards.
We have UAC cups and pens galore in the e-board office in boxes. We made little
giveaway cups for people: a cup, a pen, a UAC brochure, and quarter sheets/flyers for
special events.
There are also large pinup boards that you can use to make “collages”. Have each
committee give you old posters and things (Mary can also help you find a lot of stuff) and
make one or two big boards. Make this a project at the first g-board meeting, if possible!
At the end of the day:
Have three people signed up to help you with tear-down.
Make copies of all the sign-up sheets. Give each committee their copies and give the VPMarketing the originals to enter into the uac.info@umich.edu email group.
UAC Special Events
Winterfest
Winterfest is like Festifall, but less crazy. It takes place in January of the winter semester
in the Union Ballroom one evening. You should get an email about it from SAL, if you
don’t- check with them in late November or December to sign up. Try to get multiple
tables like at Festifall, but it’s not AS necessary, because Winterfest isn’t as popular.
Basically do everything you did for Festifall at Winterfest, just on a smaller scale. And
because it’s in the Union, you don’t have to worry about carting stuff all over campus.
Yay, elevators!
Exec VP 10
UAC Special Events
Fall G-board Retreat
What?
Early in September, we take the whole g-board on a retreat to get to know one another
and to familiarize everyone with UAC, what it is, and how it works.
When?
The retreat has typically been scheduled the weekend of the first U-M away football
game. We leave Saturday morning and return Sunday afternoon.
Where?
Early in the summer, book the rooms for the retreat. We like to get away from campus, so
that there are no distractions and no other commitments that people have to attend. The
retreat has previously been held at hotels, but we have gotten a lot of flak for spending so
much money. This past year’s retreat was really successful and was held at a beautiful
campground/retreat center about 40 minutes away.
Emrich Retreat Center
www.emrich .org
7380 Teahen Rd.
Brighton, MI 48116
emrich@cac.net
(810) 231-1060
fax: (810) 231-0085
The guy who runs the place is a pretty crotchety old man. It’s a Christian retreat center,
so there’s no drinking and no debauchery allowed on site. It’s a great place, though.
There is a fire pit, volleyball court, basketball hoop, and it’s just in a beautiful setting.
The chapel is all you really need for meeting space…there is a large meeting room with
couches and cushy chairs, where you can set up a TV to watch the game. It’s comfortable
and right next to the kitchenette. The “chapel” is just basically a large open space that
you can use for other side-meetings and stuff.
As far as sleeping goes, Crowley has 34 beds. Depending on how many people actually
come, you probably only need this building. Or you can also get another. The prices are
all on the website. Just try not to go too far over $1000 total.
Cont’d
Exec VP 11
Getting there:
It is never really clear, how many people have cars. If lots of people do, you can have
people drive separately, but it might be easiest just to do what we did and get a blue bus.
You have to schedule these a few weeks in advance. Have Susan help you with this. The
buses can only go within 1 hour of Ann Arbor, so watch out where you plan your
activities!
Food:
Breakfast: if you want to have a meal in the Union, you have to order it ahead of time
through Union scheduling. Get a room in the Union from the scheduling office (on the 1st
floor, across from Amer’s) and order whatever food you need. Just beware that it’s really
expensive. They also always provide far too much, so only order enough for ½ to 2/3 of
the people who will actually be there.
Lunch after the activity: We ordered Jimmy Johns. It worked out really well- we just
ordered big sandwich platters and cookies a few days in advance. That way, we could
make out a check and pick up the sandwiches the morning of the retreat.
Others: At the retreat center, the meals are pretty expensive, so it might be more
worthwhile to bring your own food. It is too expensive to rent the kitchen, but in the
chapel there is a small kitchenette with a fridge, coffee percolators, water cooler, and
microwave. We just ordered pizza for dinner (and people who didn’t want pizza had the
rest of the Jimmy Johns).
Shopping list: drinks, bottled water, breakfast food for Sunday morning, fruit plate,
veggie plate, other assorted snacks, and s’mores fixings.
The bonding activity:
Early in the day, it is nice to have some other sort of bonding activity for UAC-members.
This past year, we spent the morning at a nature reserve, chopping down glossy
buckthorn plants that are bad for the environment.
Jeremy Emmi is executive director of the Michigan Nature Conservatory and really,
really likes us (and he’s cute!). Send him an email in August or earlier to see if you can
organize a project with him.
jeremyemmi@michigannature.org
Michigan Nature Association
326 E. Grand River Ave.
Williamston MI 48895
(517) 655-5655
We also thought about taking the whole crew to one of those high ropes courses or
leadership/trust sessions at a camp nearby. Have fun finding an activity!
Exec VP 12
What do we do?
I’ve included the rest of our schedule for the weekend on the next page.
For the meetings, we had each e-board member give a presentation about his/her area of
expertise. Familiarize the g-board with policies, administrative forms, and life in the
UAC office. Then we had brainstorming sessions, so that everyone could give their input
about what needs to change for UAC and what else UAC can be doing. It is up to you to
decide what you want to focus on.
Free time: in the afternoon, you can watch the game. I’m sure some people will have
homework to do. But there is also the volleyball court. In the evening, the owner of the
place is willing to provide firewood to have a bonfire. Bring stuff to make s’mores!
UAC Special Events
End-of-the-year/Transition Retreat
What?
Lots of UAC work starts in the summer, before the semester begins. Lots of committees
have to book venues and plan ahead, so they have to know how to do it before they leave
for summer break. The end of the year retreat is a way for new UAC members to learn
how to do their jobs and for the old members to pass on their information.
When?
We are having our transition retreat in the Union, on campus, the first Saturday in April.
What’s the plan?
For the first couple hours, we will have lunch and meet with only the new g-board
members in a meeting room in the Union. They will get lots of information and do
workshops. Then after that, we are moving up to the UAC office. We will invite the old
g-board members to mingle with their new counterparts (over yet another Jimmy John’s
lunch) in the office. The afternoon, then, will be open to the committees to do their own
transitioning- handing over the reins to the new members and starting to plan for the next
semester.
Exec VP 13
UAC Special Events
Student Rush Ticket Sale
What?
There are so many good shows on campus these days that students can’t afford, so UAC
buys up tickets to shows like George Carlin, Rufus Wainwright, and Ani DiFranco and
sells them at discounted prices (usually $10 or $15).
How?
Look at MUTO (Michigan Union Ticket Office, in the basement of the Union) for
upcoming events around Ann Arbor and find about five events per semester that you
think will be popular with students. Email Linda Siglin (lsiglin@umich.edu), the director
of the Major Events Office and have her negotiate with MUTO to reserve UAC a block
of about 30-70 seats, depending on the price. She will arrange for the money allocation to
MUTO from UAC and the tickets will be held at MUTO until you want to pick them up.
The woman who runs MUTO is named Meighan McLaughlin and is very nice
(mdenomme@umich.edu)
Tickets usually go on sale about 10 days before the event. So about ten days before the
event, make up a flyer and advertise all around campus (leave this to the VP-Marketing to
organize flyering).
Mary sells the tickets out of the office, so warn her ahead of time! That way, she can get
a cash box and arrange the money. Give her the tickets, and let the good times roll.
How much?
This year’s e-board allocated $5000 a semester for rush tickets. Remember that, because
these tickets aren’t free, you will be making some money back. Keep that in mind when
you decide how much to spend, because you can spend more than you think- just don’t
overbuy tickets. You can choose how much you want to spend.
Exec VP 14
UAC Special Events
UAC Funding Board
What?
Any student group on campus who wants to put on a performance or event can apply to
UAC for funding. It is up to the executive board to decide what kind of events should be
funded.
Guidelines
Our general guidelines go something like this. We are an arts and programming
organization here to serve the student body, both by providing interesting and engaging
programs to students as well as giving students the opportunity to create and perform.
Past Programs
$500 to MESA (Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs) and Trotter House for a showing of
“Barbershop 2” at the Quality 16 Theaters. This program was aimed primarily at the
black community on campus.
$2000 Gen-APA Cultural Show
This was a multi-ethnic, primarily Asian show that featured numerous student
groups- we paid for the venue (Power Center) rental.
$1000 Huaren Cultural Show
We gave Huaren (the Chinese Student Association cultural show) less money than
GenAPA, because we thought that it reached a smaller audience.
$1000 Salsa con Chutzpah
This was a collaboration between Hillel, Msalsa, and UAC. It was a night of live
Klezmer music, a salsa DJ, and Israeli and salsa dance lessons- it’s fantastic!
$500
Kappa Alpha Psi talent show
The Kappas are a black fraternity that puts on this talent show every year. It
attracts a large crowd, primarily the black community, and we paid for the jazz band.
$200 Noir Fashion Show
This is another event aimed primarily at the black community on campus, but it is
great to get our name out wherever we can.
How much?
We agreed to contribute $10,000 per semester to co-sponsorships. You can choose the
amount as you see fit.
How?
Groups may contact you by email or if there are great programs out there that you’d like
to sponsor- go get ‘em!
Exec VP 15
Co-Sponsorships in Progress
Mini-Courses
In addition to our Mini-Courses, there are creative arts workshops in the League and
“Uncommon Courses” on North Campus. This year, we are trying to consolidate the
three, so that students all over campus have access to all of the courses.
League contact: Benita Murrel, bmurrel@umich.edu
Pierpont Commons contact: Katherine Hahn ktkhahn@umich.edu
Union contact: Karla Zinnecker, zinn@umich.edu
It has already been decided that the courses will be marketed together under the same
name, Mini-Courses. You have to help Marya get the information from the League and
Pierpont to print up the flyers in time for registration. The registration for League and
UAC classes will be held in the Union. The registration for Pierpont classes will be held
on North Campus. We are also trying to get an online signup worked out, so that students
don’t have to go somewhere to sign up.
Pre-Home Video Movies at the League/M-Flicks
Once a month in the League Ballroom, they will show a movie (shown from DVD, not
35mm) on a big screen in the League. These movies are not in theaters any more, but
haven’t been released on home video yet (last year they did Pirates of the Caribbean, Big
Fish, and Kill Bill). UAC is paying for half the films (every other month) and the League
for the other half. They charge $2 for a ticket, which pays for the movie and popcorn, so
the films usually break even. We have already given a $3000 transfer to the League to
pay for four films at $750 each. Make sure that Kevin from M-Flicks and Benita from the
League (Benita Murrel, bmurrel@umich.edu) stay in touch about this. Kevin should work
with her programming committee to decide on movies and to help out with execution on
film nights.
The Survey
UAC, inspired by Arts@Michigan, sent out a survey to all the student leaders of
programming organizations on campus. This survey is to find out what kind of resources
student groups are lacking and how we and the university should go about remedying that.
We want to take the results of this survey to administration. Mike Steelman at
Arts@Michigan is all over this project. He doesn’t do any of the work for it, but is very
excited nonetheless. He’s a talker, so if you’re meeting with him, be prepared to do a lot
of listening. His email is msteelma@umich.edu
Exec VP 16
The Committees- UAC in a nutshell
Amazin’ Blue
Amazin’ Blue sings fantastic a cappella. They are the oldest mixed-voice a
cappella group on campus (they were here before the millions of other groups popped
up!). They are one of the best groups in the country, often being selected for the BOCA
(Best of College Acappella) compilation cds and winning places at national tournaments.
Amazin’ Blue has a big solo concert every semester where they may or may not
invite guest artists/groups to perform. They also perform constantly at smaller gigs: some
paying gigs at very important people’s fancy dinners, university receptions and
gatherings, and other random stuff. They travel a lot, because they are invited to perform
at other colleges. They used to get UAC-sponsored spring break trips, but that policy has
changed. Now, they must raise their own funds to go on spring break. UAC has agreed to
match whatever funds they raise for ground transportation ONLY up to 50% of the cost.
Kate and Louis will be the g-board reps for this year. Kate has already been on gboard for a year and pretty much knows the ropes.
Big Ticket Productions
Big Tickets is a relatively new phenomenon. UAC used to have two groups:
Laughtrack (which brought comedy acts to campus) and Soundstage (which brought
bands). The two groups have merged into this big one. Big Ticket Productions is still a
“trial committee”. UAC groups have a three-year trial period after which they become a
full, permanent committee. The decision to maintain BTP will be yours at the end of the
year. You will have to review their performance and make sure that they are a valuable
committee to keep running.
One of BTP’s programs is called U-Club Live, run in conjunction with Union
Arts&Programs. Every other Friday, a student band is featured in the U-Club. BTP also
does a comedy series in the reshalls, run by a member of their group. It is basically a
forum for students and local standup performers to get a chance to be on stage. Other
than that, the main focus is bringing big bands to campus.
There have been several failed shows in the past: namely Comedy Central and
JimBreuer/Dave Chappelle. Comedy Central had a severe lack of interest, resulting in
tickets being given away free on the Diag the day of the show and a loss of $20,000.
JB/DC sold out, but because of ticket prices that were set too low, the show also ran at a
loss. Because BTP was being kind of delinquent, the e-board cut their budget to $10,000.
They were given this money and told to get co-sponsors to put on a big show, if they still
wanted to do it. We decided that UAC should no longer take full responsibility for losses
incurred on badly planned shows.
The most recent show, Ben Folds, was a resounding success. BTP joined with
Hillel (who gave $40,000) to put on the show. The contact person for Hillel is Ben Berger
(bberger@umich.edu) who basically runs all of their programs. The show sold out and a
profit was made on all sides. BTP still carries some residual sketchiness, like having a
huge committee (that seems to not do too much) and wanting to print up commemorative
posters (we decided NOT to spend UAC money to print up posters for a show that was
already sold out, just so that the members of BTP could get commemorative signed
posters). Ben Folds was also a testimonial to the fact that one does not need big glossy
Exec VP 17
posters, necessarily. They only used a diag banner and paper flyers, as well as
Ticketmaster, email, and word-of-mouth to sell the show. And it was a success!
BTP has a history of being pretty irresponsible: not returning emails on time,
demanding payments with no advance notice to the e-board. You’re going to have to start
a really good relationship with them and keep it going. Keep tabs on their progress.
One thing we really want BTP to do is get more co-sponsors a) so the financial
burden of big shows does not rest on two organizations and b) to get more of the
University involved in putting on big shows. BTP did get a little bit of money from MSA
and LSA-SG this year, but only a couple hundred dollars. That’s fine- but they need to
get out there and ask MORE people. It is difficult, I admit, but try and get BTP out there!
Another thing we were pushing for is corporate sponsorship. Pepsi, GM, and other
companies would love to be on those posters. Get BTP to work on corporate sponsorship
ASAP.
ComCo
ComCo is a model committee. They have grown really popular in the past year after
almost dying out a few years ago. They used to do sketch and improv comedy, but focus
mainly on improv now, accompanied by a fantastic pianist. It’s kind of like the show
“Who’s Line is it Anyway?” from TV. They usually do their shows (2 per semester) in
the U-Club on the first floor of the Union, but they have been having trouble with the
union scheduling people (especially, Karla Zinnecker, the head of Union Arts&Programs,
zinn@umich.edu) because they keep getting bumped from the rooms they have reserved.
It is frustrating. ComCo performs with a lot of other groups, as an opener or in-between
act (like Impact, the Vietnamese Student Association, Filipino Student Association,
Michigan Pops, etc.). They are really great!
Consider
Consider is a pamphlet/magazine run by UAC and Hillel. Every issue has two viewpoints
on one controversial topic- it’s pretty interesting! Consider just got access to the reshalls,
so issues (about once a month) are put into every residence hall mailbox. They try to get
an issue out every two weeks, but it doesn’t always work that way. Consider is put out on
newsstands in several university buildings and handed out on the diag when the weather
is good. They were trying to get direct mail to faculty mailboxes, because the magazine
needs a little more exposure.
Every Three Weekly (E3W)
The E3W is an institution- everyone loves it and it’s really funny. The newspaper is
really well organized, too- they have a good timeline for production and they know what
they are doing. They have all their issues archived online, which is pretty neat, too. This
is the BEST place for UAC advertising, as the E3W offers free ad space to all UAC
committees- ads just have to be sent to them a few weeks before each issue goes to print
Talk to the g-board members (Megan and Ben) to get the full details. E3W is distributed
on newsstands all over campus, but they tend to get stolen (the racks not the papers).
Impact Dance
Impact is one of the best dance groups on campus and has been for a long time.
Technically, it is a co-ed group, but there haven’t been any guys on it in years (if ever).
Exec VP 18
They do all sorts of dances: jazz, hip-hop, ballet, tap, and anything else that might come
along. Impact spends the first 3/4 of the year choreographing (they spend a lot of time in
the rehearsal room) for a huge impact show in spring. In spring, they also run Dance Mix,
which is a show that includes about 10 different dance groups on campus. It’s huge and
almost always nearly sells out.
MAC (Michigan Academic Competitions)
MAC is another committee that has their sh%& together. They compete in quiz bowl
tournaments around the country and run several tournaments here on campus: a high
school tournament (over MLK weekend) and other games at the request of student groups
on campus (like, they have run a Black History Quiz Bowl tournament for black history
month). They have really high travel costs, especially in spring when they go to nationals,
but they also win a LOT and rake in the cash- so they get pretty free rein as far as
budgeting goes.
M-agination Films
M-agination is doing well- they have a pretty dedicated group that writes, edits, directs,
and produces their own films. We just bought them a camera and cases- some pretty
expensive equipment- but they deserved it. The new camera really helps the quality of
filming. They will probably be asking for more stuff, though, like a sound boom and
things. If you can afford it, they could really use it a) so they don’t always have to be
beholden to the Film and Video Department for all the supplies and b) to increase their
quality of filmmaking. The chairs of M-agination are often very difficult to contact, so
just try to keep in touch. The committee puts on one big showcase at the end of the year
in the Michigan Theater to showcase all of their films (which are usually really good!).
M-Flicks
M-Flicks is a problem committee. They show 35mm movies on the big screen on campus
for free, usually in the Natural Science Bldg auditorium. It is a great idea, it just needs
some oomph. M-Flicks hardly ever advertises or goes flyering, so work on them! Help
them get the word out! Film Farm (their spring showcase of student film submissions)
had to be canceled due to a lack of submissions. Make SURE that these guys flyer up a
storm and really get the word out to the Film&Video and theater departments, especially.
One new thing we are trying to do is show “pre-home-video” movies in collaboration
with the League. Every month at the League Ballroom, they will show a movie in
conjunction with League Arts&Programming (contact Benita Murrel,
bmurrel@umich.edu). There is more info on this later.
Michigan Pops Orchestra (actually just Michigan Pops, now, I think)
The Michigan Pops is a relatively new committee (they just became permanent three
years ago) that is just growing by leaps and bounds. The orchestra has a large and
dedicated membership (about 80 people per semester) that is always enthusiastic about
advertising and their music. They put on 1 large orchestral concert every semester at the
Michigan Theater a) because that is one of the few stages that the orchestra fits on and b)
the Ann Arbor Symphony performs at the Michigan Theater, so they already have the
stuff an orchestra needs. This year, they also started doing “Mini-Pops” small ensembles
concerts as well- one in the U-Club and one in the League Underground. Sometimes the
Exec VP 19
orchestra has to hire players to fill in parts that can’t be covered otherwise. The orchestra
rehearses at Revelli Hall (down by Crisler, where the Marching Band practices) which
has caused conflicts with the past. All the equipment in the building is owned by the
School of Music, which can sometimes get protective about its facilities. There have been
no problems recently, however.
Mini-Courses
Mini-courses has been an adventure. Until the beginning of this year, Mary was running
it herself, because there was no chairperson. Luckily, we found Marya, and she is great.
She really needs a partner, though, because mini-courses is a lot of work and Mary is
getting sick of it! Scheduling courses can be a tricky business. We have had courses in
the past for which absolutely nobody signed up (ie. CPR, Intro to Wilderness), some
surprising ones that people loved (Bridge- the card game), and our staple courses that
always get a good following (namely, bartending and sometimes yoga or massage). This
year, the consolidation of Pierpont Commons’ “Uncommon Courses” and Leagues
“Creative Arts workshops” into Mini-courses will take some strategy. Do not
compromise anything to them! :-) Just make sure that rooms are scheduled in time and
confirmed and that instructors are confirmed. We pay some of the instructors a ridiculous
amount of money, so consider trying to cut some salaries if you need more cash (for
instance, we pay bartending instructors $50/hour). Our instructors are good though, so try
not to. Also, UAC’s main goal is not to profit or even to really break even- we just want
to provide good classes at reasonable prices! Because mini-courses is really only one
person (hopefully two), they might need help advertising.
MUSKET
MUSKET puts on two amazing musicals every year (one every semester). This past year
they did Damn Yankees and Cabaret. Previously they have done Chicago, West Side
Story, Chess, and any number of other things. They always perform in the Power Center
and always draw in a HUGE crowd, because the shows are great. MUSKET is usually
very well run. Especially this year’s co-chairs. Their budget looks huge, but they need it
and they usually make a lot of it back in ticket sales. MUSKET works closely with Mark
Haviland (markhav@umich.edu) who runs the STAC (student theater arts complex)
where the group rehearses. They also work closely with the School of Music faculty and
University Productions.
The Rude Mechanicals
The Rudes do straight theater. They traditionally do a Shakespeare every fall and
something else in spring. This year they tried to do a festival of student-written plays in
spring, which wasn’t really a success. That was due to some unfortunate emergencies and
mishaps, so maybe it could work in the future. This group also rehearses in the STAC.
Speaker Initiative
Speaker Initiative brings all sorts of speakers to campus to do free lectures open to the
public. This year they did a forum on Weapons of Mass Destruction, which was cosponsored by Hillel, the history and political science departments, and numerous other
campus groups. It was a fantastic way to get a bunch of groups to work together! They
also brought Mike Reiss (co-producer of the Simpsons).