Solange Knowles to perform in FMO-sponsored concert
Updated: April 14 at 2:40 p.m.
Correction appended
For Members Only, the black student alliance on campus, is bringing R&B singer Solange Knowles to campus in April for its annual spring concert, according to FMO officials.
The concert, which will take place on April 19 at 8 p.m. in the Louis Room in Norris, will feature Knowles, as well as Big Sean, an up and coming rapper from Detroit signed on Kanye West’s “GOOD Music” label.
For FMO Publicity Chair Francesca DeLaney, Knowles will be an original act for Northwestern.
“A&O and Mayfest are bringing a lot of hip-hop artists, and we’re kind of taking a different approach by bringing R&B,” the McCormick junior said. “We’ll definitely attract a different crowd, and maybe a more diverse one.”
Although Knowles might be best known for being the sister of Beyoncé, she has released two albums. Her latest, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, came out in August 2008.
“I think students know about her, I don’t think people know her that well as an artist. I think they’re going to be pleasantly surprised,” said FMO Coordinator Marrion Johnson.
Around 300 tickets for the event will go on sale on April 13 at 10 a.m. at the Norris Box Office. Tickets cost $5 for Northwestern students and $7 for non-students. According to Johnson, there will be no ticket limit per person.
Johnson said that the concert had a goal beyond entertaining current students. The Communication sophomore said he hoped the concert would help increase minority enrollment.
“[The concert] is going to be [on] Wildcat Days weekend, so we worked with admissions to guarantee that 150 tickets will be saved for prospies so that they can have a better experience when they come,” he said. Johnson added that an additional 150 tickets would be reserved for the hosts of the prospective students.
Updated April 13, 11:35 p.m: The original version of this article called For Members Only “the African-American student group on campus.” A more appropriate term is “black student alliance.” Thanks to commenter marrion for the tip.
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Isn’t reserving half of your tickets for prospies a bit of a conflict with SAFB guidelines…
anonymous
April 9, 2009 at 10:59 pm
UNFAIR for FMO to use my money to pay for a concert that I can’t attend bc I won’t be hosting a prospie.
L
April 10, 2009 at 12:31 am
I’m wondering why you don’t have five dollars? Please don’t look for reasons to complain about things. It will save your breath and others time!
Confused?
April 10, 2009 at 12:45 am
From my understanding, you’d be more than welcome to purchase a ticket for $5, as they have reserved 300 tickets for the student population (who won’t be hosting prospies). Therefore, if you are actually interested in attending the concert, you should be able to do so.
Side Note: Great Job, FMO! Keep up the good work!
AJR
April 10, 2009 at 11:55 am
wait…how many people can the Louis Room actually fit? is it really upwards of 600?
Nicole
April 10, 2009 at 1:13 pm
and 10…PM? hmmm?
Nicole
April 10, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Nicole, according to the CSI venue guidelines (http://www.norris.northwestern.edu/org_policies.php), the Louis Room can only fit 500. is FMO selling 100 more tickets than they’re allowed?!?! unleash the scandal, NBN!!
Vikram
April 10, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Dear Nicole,
Thanks for catching the typo. Tickets should go on sale at 10 a.m. on April 13, and not 10 p.m., as was previously written.
Sincerely,
Chloe Benoist
Chloe Benoist
April 10, 2009 at 1:20 pm
i applaud FMO and think this is a wonderful idea, prospies and all. Anonymous, they’re not using our money to give tickets to prospies…they’re just reserving tix that the prospies will pay for. Even if I’m misunderstanding that, I’m glad to chip in $5 to increase diversity at NU.
sophomore
April 10, 2009 at 3:02 pm
sophomore,
You pay Tetzel for that indulgence, allowing yourself a better night’s sleep because that will make all the difference in increasing diversity. If you are that committed to diversity, go and recruit in the inner city or deep south or do anything more active than pay $5 to see Solange Knowles.
senior
April 11, 2009 at 2:45 am
Yeah, as an ASG personnel, this would be a conflict of interest. FMO was given funding from the student activities to host this event and therefore 100% of the money should go towards benefiting the Northwestern students. FMO should not be excluding Northwestern students to go see their own concert, especially if the reserved seats for the prospective students are only for minorities. That in essence is reverse discrimination.
What if 500 Northwestern students want to go? Will 200 be turned away saying, “I know we are paying this from your activities fee, but sorry, these seats are reserved for non-Northwestern students”? This is ridiculous.
Dude
April 13, 2009 at 12:46 pm
The purpose of reserving space for prospies is to get them engaged and excited about NU so that they will come. Every year, Northwestern spends money to show the prospective students a good time. These tickets were purchased by Admissions, a part of Northwestern’s administrative arm. It is the equivalent of people bringing students outside of NU to a concert.
FMO is unapologetic in their decision to reserve the seats. As for capacity concerns, we are well within our guidelines and respect the capacity of Norris. We have met with CSI, and we are in the clear. There is no scandal, so stop looking for one.
For everyone else that is excited about the event, and aren’t just bitter because they have to pay for a ticket, they will go on sale Wednesday morning for $5. I think people will always find something wrong with a positive situation. Unfortunately, at Northwestern, people look for flaws just because it’s an event FMO is putting on.
Nissi
April 13, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Nissi, you stop trying to create a scandal. Space capacity and funding ambivalence are concerns for every event, regardless of whether they are sponsored by FMO or not. I appreciate your willingness to defend reserving seats for prospective students, but not your biting final remark that alludes to a racist Northwestern student fighting against diversity.
Nicole
April 13, 2009 at 8:07 pm
The SAFB guidelines governing this sort of thing, which all student groups that spend SAF funds must follow, read in part:
“Ticket prices shall offer a competitive price advantage to Northwestern University students.”
It is my understanding that the prospies will pay $7 for this event, while NU students will pay $5. If I’m wrong and the prospies aren’t paying their $7 for this event but are getting free tickets, then the event definitely violates the guidelines.
Either way I think it’s pretty stupid and selfish of any student group to exclude people from an event who are currently on campus in the interest of bolstering its own numbers in future years.
Bill
April 13, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Yeah, FMO is clearly violating the SAFB funding guidelines.
yo
April 14, 2009 at 12:58 am
Prospies aren’t getting free tickets and FMO is not violating the guidelines. If you were actually a senator and as a result had seen the guidelines, you would know.
you have got to be kidding me
April 14, 2009 at 9:46 am
I am a Senator. Since Admission bought the tickets for the prospies, tickets have already been paid for and the prospies are attending the show for free. This is a clear violation of the SAFC guidelines and I will be filing a formal complaint to SAFC.
Senator
April 14, 2009 at 1:32 pm
wow – so much complaining! I for one am in support of what they’re doing . Trying to show prospies a good time is great! keep up the good work FMO
René Jovel aka SupaKat
April 14, 2009 at 2:42 pm
I don’t understand this intiative. We’re lying to prospies and insinuating that a lot of black people go to this school? As FMO so clearly stated earlier this year, there is a “reprehensible” amount of black students at this school. Wouldn’t bringing Solange and inviting prospies be pretending that we’re more diverse than we actually are?
Josh
April 14, 2009 at 3:21 pm
FMO IS NOT PAYING FOR THE TICKETS. NU ADMISSIONS PAID FOR THE TICKETS. THEREFORE, SAFB MONEY WAS NOT USED TO “EXCLUDE OTHER NU STUDENTS.” NU ADMISSIONS IS NOT APART OF ASG’S JURISDICTION. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT PPL.
and while you’re @ it… go read a book. “recruit some inner-city kids or deep south” … wtf does that mean?
A.B.W.
April 16, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Solange Knowles is defintive on of the Greatest, and not only for doing this! She will make the Louis Room shine!!! And all prospies will follow her to Education!
Armin
April 19, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I never even knew Beyonce had a sister!
Erica
April 27, 2009 at 12:43 pm