By Daniel Johnson-Kim, Editor in Chief
The Students’ Association Congress voted to give a student group more than $3,000 Wednesday, the largest amount Congress has given this semester from the Student Request Fund.
A motion to give Alpha Psi Omega, ACU’s nationally recognized honorary theatre society, $3,668.30 to help fund two trips to the Southeastern Theatre Conference State Screening Auditions passed overwhelmingly, leaving the group to fund $1,167 to make the trips.
The funds will help pay for 12 APO members’ trip to the Mississippi State Screening on Dec. 7, and eight members’ trip to the Virginia State Screening, on Nov. 1. Students attending the Mississippi screening are required to pay $66.70 out of their own pockets, while students attending the Virginia screening are required to pay $83.25. Congress calculated these numbers.
The SETC screenings are for professionals, so students must first pass a screening in order to audition with other industry professionals at the conferences, said Seth Bazacas, senior musical theatre major form Ocean City, N.J., and president of APO.
Bazacas said the auditions were invaluable to ACU theatre majors, and he and other theatre students who auditioned in past years were able to work professionally during the summer with various companies.
“I passed the screening, ended up with 15 call backs and when all was said and done I had six job offers,” Bazacas said.
Bazacas worked for the Prather Entertainment and Weathervane Playhouse, along with Jonathan Bragg, senior musical theatre major from Rowlett. While making his case before Congress, Bazacas said that because of the help SA provided in past years, the theatre department has had more students working professionally in theatre than ever before.
Bazacas convinced several Congress members, who steadfastly stood behind giving APO as much money as possible.”The Homecoming musical draws more money than the Homecoming football game,” said junior Sen. David Vanderpool during debate of the motion. “If our actors and actresses are better, the ACU community will be better. Let’s give them as much money as possible.”
More than $3,500 remains in the Student Request Fund after this allocation. The fund had more than $10,000 at the beginning of the semester.
