The Michigan Student Assembly voted last night to sponsor their
first concert — a performance by Ben Folds.
The former frontman for Ben Folds Five will play solo at Hill
Auditorium on April 3.
“There is very high demand for him because he appeals to a
very broad base in this campus,” said MSA Communications
Chair Jesse Levine. “His music is good to relax to and chill
with friends.”
LSA Student Government and University Hillel will also sponsor
the show, along with the main organizer Big Ticket Productions, a
student group.
BTP member and LSA junior Chuoh Ngeh said the concert was
carefully chosen.
“We did market research on bands that have been successful
on many other campuses,” Ngeh said. “We picked Ben
Folds based on who students wanted and what we could
afford.”
The student group is committed to bringing local and national
bands and comedians to students, Ngeh said.
MSA members said the student government allocations will go
toward funding for the show’s advertisements.
MSA’s funding of the concert is the beginning of a good
relationship between MSA, LSA-SG and BTP, Levine said.
It’s a good opportunity for the student government to fund
something entertaining for the students, he added.
The tickets for the Ben Folds concert went on sale Monday for
$15 to $30 for students. Half of the tickets have already been
sold, Ngeh said.
The assembly also voted to support the rental of accessory
dwelling units for students in Ann Arbor. ADUs are additional
living spaces that include additions to or conversions of current
housing, and they would give students more housing options, MSA
members said.
“ADUs are legal in Ann Arbor, but not to rent to people
other than your family members,” SNRE junior Elizabeth Graham
said.
Some members of Students for PIRGIM attended the meeting and
asked MSA to support ADUacccs because they are “increasing
density” and improving housing in Ann Arbor.
PIRGIM member and RC sophomore Pamela Baker said student
involvement on this housing issue is important.
“By having MSA endorsing and supporting this resolution,
it shows City Council that students can be involved, especially
since we are such a large percentage of this area,” Baker
said.
RC senior Adriane Davis added, “We want to get the
community involved. … Two years ago this proposal got shot
down because there were a lot of misinformed residents, so we want
to hold forums to help educate the community about ADUs.”
MSA President Angela Galardi will write a letter to the Ann
Arbor City Council voicing students’ support of ADUs.