O'Brien appearance might exclude some students

As NBC welcomed Jay Leno back to his position as host of “The Tonight Show” this week, ASMSU members attempted to welcome its former host, Conan O’Brien, to MSU.

ASMSU placed a bid last week to persuade O’Brien to stop by campus to perform in May. If O’Brien comes to campus, he potentially could perform May 10-13 and 16-21, a time when many students are off campus for summer break.

Though plans for the show have not been finalized, ASMSU put in a $150,000 bid to get the former “Tonight Show” host on campus. ASMSU’s Student Assembly allocated $225,000 to pay for O’Brien’s potential appearance and other event costs. Because all students pay an ASMSU tax, they might be paying for a show they aren’t able to attend. What students will be paying for, students won’t be getting.

For some students, home might not be too far away, and driving back to East Lansing to see O’Brien live won’t be too big of an issue. But for others, the cost of gas combined with a ticket fee might be too much to draw many students back. ASMSU members might be trying to entice O’Brien to campus, but they need to make it clear whether O’Brien can entice students to come back a week after classes end.

Eric Branoff, Student Assembly vice chairperson for external affairs, said O’Brien wasn’t able to come during the school year and only could come during the summer. He said having the concert close to the school year still will give many students the opportunity to attend, as some students still are on campus a few weeks after the semester ends. ASMSU expects the show will bring in enough funds to replenish its risk management fund and still turn a profit. ASMSU intends to donate all profits to relief efforts in Haiti.

An event such as this doesn’t happen often on campus. Usually as the ASMSU’s risk management fund approaches $1 million, the organization dips into it to provide the student body with some form of entertainment. Now that the pot is reaching that point, ASMSU is looking to O’Brien.

But if the funds are indeed replenished after the potential O’Brien show, ASMSU should consider sponsoring a similar event in the fall, such as a concert or comedy act. That way, all students on campus could attend and students who return home for the summer wouldn’t be unnecessarily excluded.

Residents in the Lansing and East Lansing areas and across Michigan will be able to see O’Brien in May if he comes. But is this fair? An event hosted by ASMSU, paid for by student dollars, should benefit the students first, and not the surrounding community. The show should remain open to the public, but students should have the most convenient access to the show. A show in mid-May provides no such convenience.

ASMSU should continue to move forward with the potential show, so long as they are sure they can replenish the risk management funds. They also should keep in mind that the show might not be as accessible to all students as it might seem. Lastly, they should consider bringing a similar act to campus next year that all students have the opportunity to attend.