UT President Powers: “I’m going to back our students on this”
In this videotaped interview published by The Acalde
(the publication of the Texas Exes alumni organization), University of Texas President William Powers, Jr.
addresses alumni in Midland, Texas about several issues. This was on Texas Independence Day, March 2, 2010, and
he mentions what “our students want” regarding the Cactus Cafe. While he doesn't elaborate on
specifically which students he’s referring to, it’s
clear that he’s unaware of the clear message delivered three weeks prior by the graduate student assembly, or
the clearer message delivered four weeks later by the undergraduate student assembly.
Powers’ comments about the Cactus Cafe start at 4m30s in the video:
The Cactus Cafe — I don’t know how many of you have heard about that — it’s a big issue in Austin. It is very controversial. I spent two-and-a-half hours at an open forum, and if you think there’s any doubt I get candid [Laughter] [Unintelligible].
That one actually is quite interesting. Our students want student bands in that venue. They want a lot of the kind of music that was going on in the Cactus Cafe, but they also want the kind of music that they’re interested in. But also student music, student stand-up comedy, student improv. And it’s an issue of “Is this their space, or is it a space controlled by people interested in the kind of music that was going on in the Cactus Cafe in the sixties?” I would tell people when, in the sixties, the students sort of took control of that space, they did not have Guy Lombardo. [Laughter] And I think our students now are going through that same process. The negotiations — it will come out where there’s a lot of the same kind of music that was there, but I think the students want to be in control of that. There’s a lot of negotiation with the community and the students. My view is I’m going to back our students on this.
A more complete set of videos of the entire interview conducted by Texas Exes executive director Jim Boon is on
the website of The Acalde in the article “Powers Gets Frank On The Cactus Cafe, Football Salaries, And Other Hot-Button UT
Issues”.
Comments
Although the documents obtained by the Texas Observer under the Freedom of Information Act prove that attributing the move to kill the Cactus to a student initiative (rather than to Andy Smith, in order to protect his merit-raise pool) was a lie, Administration seems determined not to back away from that falsehood, blithely repeating that students came up with the whole idea, and that killing the Cactus will benefit the student body.
The text of the Handbook of Operating Procedures relevant to the Texas Union Board of Directors states that no action taken by the Board in Executive Session is valid unless approved by the Board as a whole at the next regular meeting. Instead, on February 26 we saw all questions relating to the January BoD meeting and Executive Session deflected as "out of order."
On February 26 the student members of the Board made plain that the decision to kill the Cactus came from Administration, and the students begged the audience not to "kill the messenger." Subsequently, of course, Administration has clung to the fiction that students originated the entire idea to kill the Cactus.
Truly bizarre--but unfortunately, given the history of the Smith regime at the Texas Union (come see "University, Inc." at the Texas Union Theater at 7:30 on Tuesday evening April 6), not at all surprising.
To date the promised posting of BoD minutes online (which the Board approved unanimously February 26) has not occurred. Those minutes are still current only through November 13, 2009.
By lack of informed students, I meant those such as Liam O'Rourke and those who follow his lead with respect to the Cactus Cafe. It is clear from the noted actions by the undergraduate and graduate student assemblies that the larger student body appreciates the value of having a venue like the Cactus on campus.
Given that the University of Texas encompasses a widely diverse student body, exactly what kind of music would appeal to students? I suggest that there are few genres of music that would appeal to large numbers of students yet also be appropriate for the unique venue that is the Cactus Cafe. I would also like to see the data justifying the assertion that students do not patronize the Cactus. I attend frequently, and have never been asked if I was a student (I am) or a community member (as some of my guests have been) or even a visitor to Austin. If the students are not being served by the Cactus, then where is the plan to guarantee that it will be full for six nights a week with student organizations signing up to use the venue as needed? The plan to close a space that is being well utilized does not seem to be based on any demand by students and will likely lead to an excellent acoustic music space remaining empty the majority of the time. If students are not being served by the Cactus, then the most logical step would be to institute several internships for music, communications and business majors to provide student, input while learning how to manage a world-class venue.
I guess he's never listened to the talking oil rig...
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/dos1.html
The intent here has been to somehow make this an issue between the students and the larger community allowing University management to do what they want. This is also true with respect to Informal Classes. Uninformed and uninterested students will see this as an issue of increasing tuition costs because of programs that they don't use themselves. Besides the lack of informed students, President Powers shows how poorly informed he is about UT history, as if the Cactus even existed in the 60s or that it was originally established by students rather than by professional staff. Given the various formats of music played in the Cactus, I wouldn't be surprised if "Lombardo" music had been played there within the last decade or so.
UT is a land grant university. It would be great if everyone familiarized themselves with the mission of a land grant institution:
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Morrill.html
The mission is to serve the COMMUNITY, not just the students (who are also part of the community). Closing the Cactus is wrong because it severs ties to the community of Austin. The university is NOT just for the students, but for Austin.