Cactus Cafe closing

texasflag.gif


Powers not being ready for that response just shows what kind of blithering idiot he is. For him and for the Union board to not realize what the Cactus means to The University, the community, and even the State of Texas and the Nation, from a musical standpoint, is beyond belief.

For him to say it doesn't cater to the student population is ridiculous. I feel many students and alumni (they should be considered importent...right?) have a huge interest in the Cactus. Based on this philosophy, the Erwin Center shouldn't be used for concerts and shows that appeal to anyone but students and faculty...HELL, no basketball...not everyone at UT cares for the sport. Maybe the use of DKR should be limited to student flag football games. I could ramble on about the PAC, Bass, Hogg, but you get the point.

I know the Cactus is housed in the Student Union, but that shouldn't keep it from allowing the outside world in, and there is no reason keeping it the same couldn't benefit the student population for eternity. If the minds in charge would listen to all of the ideas being presented, they might realize they have a cash cow in the Cactus, that could save the venue, the Informal Classes and provide funding for other things, as well.

SAVE THE CACTUS!













cow_rose.gif
 
The Cactus was my refuge while on-campus, in my day, besides all the accolades as a music venue - (certainly valid) - .

I'm almost certain that even today, the student/patrons are definitively not your wall-flower, 20-something, poseurs that dominate the campus... probably the same sort who are on the Union Committee (or whatever its called).

The sad thing is, in 12 or 18 months, the closing will be forgotten, assuming it will be closed, and I wouldn't doubt it. I bet Powers put has had his hatchet jaw on the establishment for quite a while.

Outrageous!
 
A couple of thoughts from someone who graduated in 71 and has only been to the CC a couple of times.

The whole campus is less user friendly than it used to be and considerably more expensive. The franchise food places in the Union are totally at odds with the atmosphere of the place in my time.

All the televisions all over the place are not conducive to sittting down and studying or shooting the breeze about anything besides sports or what is showing. The days when the Union was a sort of free floating agora are long gone.

The Cactus was overcrowded and the times I went there was not primarily occupied by students.

The groups I heard were high quality and I had no trouble understanding why the door charge was excessive for students of average means. Bringing in lesser known, high quality talent in a place like Austin should not be a problem.

I saw Joe Ely at the Cactus once and I can't recall what I paid but it was considerably more than the first time I saw him in 1969 in a dump on Red River. Or when I saw him in Lubbock in the late 70s when they were taking admissions and putting the money in a cigar box.

My point: there are a lot of young versions of Ely in Austin and they don't have venues that good and would play for less.

As for the Union film series, I can remember getting a great education in film by going to 50 cent films at Batts and the Union. Sorry to hear that is not available anymore.
 
why does the university even have a shortfall to cover the cactus. Tuition goes up every year. I dont know the inner workings of the UT system financially but I do at some other schools. University of Virginia tuition rates have gone up exponentially as well. The cause there has been legislative interference and new regulations. The school has had to hire tons of administration staff to its payrolls. This was not the intent of the legislature but increased government involvement always includes unrecognized and unintentional costs. Its part of them being a reactionary as opposed to a problem solving group. Is this the same reason for the increased costs at UT?
 
My limited understanding is that UT used to be quite heavily subsidized by state funds, but as budgets got tighter and politics got more conservative, the Legislature decided that UT and other state schools should be more self-supporting via tuition and fees. So the state money diminished and the difference had to come from students.

My first semester at UT was Fall '89, and my bill for that semester was under $400. It's shocking to me that tuition has increased something like TENFOLD, in only 20 or so years. And at the same time, the Union and the Drag have become boring, franchised sellouts of their former selves.
 
My first semester at UT was Fall '89, and my bill for that semester was under $400.
__________________________________________________

It had to have been more than that...i could be wrong. I took a full load in 90 and i believe my bill was 900-1000 a semester for 15 hours? i think my bill in 94 when i left was around 1500 or so for the last semester.
 
The state used to cover 80% of the cost of education. They've cut that to about 17% now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top