By Collin Good, Editor in Chief
For the last several years, Saint Leo University’s Campus Activities Board, or CAB, has hosted the annual Spring Fling – a concert aimed at bringing students together to enjoy music and a carnival-like atmosphere on campus, with only Saint Leo students allowed to attend.
This year, significant changes have come to Spring Fling. After low attendance, despite high prices for bands, administrators in charge of budgeting for the event have put stipulation on the funding, particularly on the band selection, while simultaneously increasing the event’s budget.
The Campus Activities Board is run by Michael Castronuovo, a junior, and the sitting Student Government Union Vice President of Activities. The VPA is the de facto president of CAB, while three paid CAB Assistants and numerous volunteer “cabbies” help facilitate almost all on and off-campus events for students.
In an interview with Castronuovo he shared details of how Spring Fling is changing direction this year.
“Spring Fling will be held in the “bowl”, with a comedian the evening of March 4, followed by a two-part event on March 5. Saturday will include a Tampa Disk Jockey playing alongside a carnival atmosphere of multiple novelty items and vendors on display. We’re also looking into having a foam party pit,” said Castronuovo. “The evening events will host a carnival with rides, food vendors, and a stage for live music.”
For the first time since 2008, CAB will not host a live performance by a major artist. CAB made a pre-emptive move, citing that the amount of money spent to bring live bands didn’t live up to the core values of the University, despite growing attendance in past years.
“It was a collective discussion when looking at the previous events,” said Stanley Kaszuba, Associate Director of Campus Life for Student Involvement, advisor to the Campus Activities Board. “It was initiated on the administrative level, but not one person – looking at past shows and despite the attendance at those shows that was significant, when you broke down the cost per student it was a lot higher than what is probably should be, especially when looking at how we’re supposed to be responsible stewards in looking at the budget.”
While there are no set stipulations on how Campus Activities Board spends their budget, major events are earmarked just after July 1, when the University’s fiscal year begins.
“We start planning and reserving tickets at the beginning of the fiscal year, and we earmark money in the budget for fall festival, winter formal, and spring fling,” said Kaszuba.
The Campus Activities Board’s budget is comprised of a percentage of the Student Activities Fee, charged to all students who attend University Campus. Kaszuba made it clear, “we don’t see all of that money: a portion goes to the Student Government Union operations and finance committee budgets, and the rest is distributed among other budgets.”
The current Student Activities Fee is set at $175 per semester.
The CAB is one board who has almost complete autonomy on budgeting. A student-run organization, the Board is allowed to budget according to the will of the executive board, though an advisor can step in at any time.
The era of live bands at Saint Leo for Spring Fling is not dead, however. CAB has been able to successfully market acts like Natalie Stovall, who will be performing again this year. Through the direction has changed, Castronuovo believes this event will draw more students than previous years.
“We’ve got music playing that everyone likes, without spending thousands on just one act to fill the afternoon. We’re able to bring in more food vendors, more crafts and novelties, and really create a carnival atmosphere, bringing it in the direction that CAB had been moving in for a few years. I encourage all students to come out to Spring Fling, and all CAB events throughout the semester.”
Spring Fling will be held March 4 and 5, and is open only to Saint Leo students. Any tickets for CAB events can be purchased online at saintleotickets.com.
