by Wendy J. Allyn

Members of the SIUC Late Nite Programming Committee say the program is off to a successful start, but adequate funding will determine whether students will continue to have alternative entertainment to the bars.

The committee, which was created to provide an alternative to Carbondale’s bar scene, has planned events beyond this fall, but is still uncertain where funding will come from. Jean Paratore, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students, said the committee is meeting at the end of this week to discuss its plans and possible sources of funding.

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Paratore said so far the committee has received funding from a variety of groups and organizations but is still seeking more funds.

The City of Carbondale contributed to one event, USG funded one outdoor concert, the Residence Hall Association contributed toward the Late Nite of Comedy, Paratore said. We got some money from the chamber of commerce, some of which will go to the drive-in movie, and SPC has contributed significant funds.

University Programming Office Coordinator Joanne Yantis said she is happy with the sponsorship the program has received.

We have got really good support so far, not to say we’re not still in need of money, Yantis said. I’ve been really pleased that people have pulled together for this.

The program budget called for $30,000 to cover events planned during the fall semester. Yantis said the committee still needs $6,000.

I don’t know what we’re going to do for next semester, she said. We’ll have to brainstorm some new ways to raise some money. I hate to go back to the same people and say, can you do it again?’

After this week’s meeting, committee members should know better who will pay for activities next semester, Paul Mitchell, Student Programming Council chair, said. He said SPC wants to continue the program for the next several years.

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Late Nite events so far have included two outdoor concerts on campus, a comedy act at the Student Center, and the Great College Drive-In Movie, held this past Friday at the Sam Rinella Fields.

Attendance at the Great College Drive-In Movie this weekend was low because of the recent drop in weather temperature, Yantis said. Only about 70 people attended the first movie, Jurassic Park, and about 100 showed up for Die Hard With A Vengeance.

We didn’t have as many as we expected because of the weather, Yantis said. A lot of students said it was a good idea, though.

Yantis said if the Late Nite committee decides to organize another drive-in in the future, it will be held earlier in the year.

Scott Pfeiffer, Undergraduate Student Government chief of staff, said he is optimistic, however, about the continued success of the Late Nite program.

We’re all working together for one cause, and because of that it will succeed, Pfeiffer said.

Mitchell said the first Late Nite event, an outdoor concert which featured punk/alternative bands from St. Louis, went well even though the committee was not sure what kind of turnout to expect. An estimated 500 students attended the concert, Yantis said.

The Late Nite of Comedy drew a crowd of more than 600 people, according to Mitchell. It is going to be a frequent event, Mitchell said, with one scheduled for this weekend and one for parent’s weekend in October.

Yantis said the program is likely to continue because of the type of entertainment it offers. Late Nite activities are not solely to target students who can’t go to bars, she said, but to provide entertainment that is not found anywhere else.

Yantis said Intramural Recreational Sports is helping to sponsor an evening of novelty games at the Rec Center on Nov. 3. The games will include airball volleyball, trampoline bungee, and computerized golf.

We look at it as alternative entertainment, she said. It’s not just for 18-year-old students. Everyone is welcome.

The next Late Nite event will be a Late Nite of Comedy on Friday, Sept. 29 in the Student Center Ballroom from 9:30 to midnight.