A new University committee is focusing on alternative weekend entertainment for students too young to enter bars, but funding for many proposed events has not yet been found.

The Late Nite programming committee, comprised of University and student organization representatives, met for the first time during summer and developed the Late Nite with SIU program. The program is designed to organize non-alcoholic activities involving 18 and 19-year-old students in response to a city ordinance raising the bar entry age to 20.

The committee planned to pool money from its member organizations to finance outdoor concerts, bonfires during football season and comedy acts on campus.

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Everybody is going back to their budgets and seeing how much they can contribute, said Joanne Yantis, university programming coordinator. We want it to be a quality program, and that’s far more costly.

According to the program budget, expenses for fall semester are an estimated $30,000, with the cost of individual events ranging from $600 to $5500 for everything from advertising to security.

The committee will need contributions from outside sources to cover those expenses completely, Yantis said.

Our budgets are so tight that it’s hard to find five dollars that hasn’t already been allocated, she said.

Jean Paratore, associate vice president of student affairs, said she recently sent a letter to SIUC and city officials giving a listing of events and requesting funding from them as soon as possible.

We’re pressed for time, she said. Some of these things are acts we have to book.

Paratore said she thought the city would provide some financial support and said Carbondale City Manager Jeff Doherty is presenting the request to the city council for consideration.

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We’re still looking at the alternative right now, Doherty said. We’re very interested in the program.

Doherty said he was most certain the city would contribute around $3,000 for the first scheduled concert.

SIUC President John Guyon said the university supports the program, but the plans and figures he has seen are only preliminary.

We’ll try to fund it as best we can, he said.

Duane Sherman, undergraduate student government president who is co-chairing the committee with Paratore, said he is concerned about the funding because he wants the program to continue.

Our focus is to bridge the gap from what we have now in entertainment to establishing entertainment all students can enjoy, he said.

According to Josh Wiese, student programming committee concerts chair, the Fragile Porcelain Mice and Nitro Jr. will perform Aug. 25 in the free forum area from 9:00 p.m. to midnight.

I think Fragile is an incredible band, and that will get things going, he said.

Wiese said since the bar entry age increased, younger students have few alternatives, and he hopes the first concert will encourage sponsors to contribute to future events.

If this one goes off okay, it will be kind of a springboard for next year, he said.