Save the Cactus Cafe.org - News

Student FOTCC: “UT administration has no foot to stand on”

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:14:03 -0600

In his Austin Chronicle “Earache!” blog entry titled “Cactus Resolve”, Richard Whittaker quotes Hayley Gillespie of Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe after passage of Student Assembly Resolution AR 41: “The administration has no foot to stand on in terms of saying, ‘Here’s this group of students who want the Cactus to change or be re-purposed in some major way.’”

UT undergrad assembly unanimously supports the Cactus Cafe

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:59:18 -0600

The resolution below (or one very close to it) unanimously passed in the UT undergraduate assembly meeting Tuesday night.

AR 41: In Support of Maintaining the Character of the Cactus Cafe with Additional Student Involvement
Author: John Woods

Sponsors: Representatives Emily Benigno, Carly Castetter, Matt Daley, Alex Ferraro, Madison Gardner, Alex Greenberg, Jesse Hernandez, Sarah Hobson, Tim Hooper, Andy Jones, John Lawler, Shannon Mann, Tarryn O’Dell, Thaddeus Woody and John Woods

WHEREAS, The University Unions management plans to modify or eliminate the Cactus Cafe, and is seeking proposals for its future management; and,

WHEREAS, The Graduate Student Assembly at The University of Texas at Austin has already unanimously passed a resolution in support of preserving the character of the Cactus Cafe¹; furthermore, the presidents of the eighteen college councils issued a letter conveying a unanimous opinion that the student body was not sufficiently consulted in the discussion and decision making process; and, WHEREAS, The Student Events Center has put forward a proposal which does not specifically include graduate students in the decision-making process regarding the future of Cactus Cafe, and would place the Cactus Cafe primarily under student management;² therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED, That the Student Government of The University of Texas at Austin concurs with the Graduate Student Assembly on the issue of graduate student representation, and is concerned that the Students Event Center proposal, if implemented, may negatively affect the character of the Cactus Cafe; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Student Government supports the establishment of a Cactus Cafe Student Initiatives Program, supporting student internships based out of the Cactus Cafe, as proposed by the Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Student Government supports the establishment of a Cactus Cafe Student Artists-in-Residence Program, as proposed by the Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Student Government supports, if necessary, the creation of an endowment to fund or help fund the Cactus Cafe, in conjunction with or independently of the non-profit (501(c)(3)) organization Friends of the Cactus Cafe; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Student Government believes experienced, full-time, professional management of the Cactus Cafe is fundamental to its character, and that daily operations are a key part of preserving the character of the Cactus Cafe and maintaining the quality of booking; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Student Government believes that the Cactus Cafe is a staple of Texas musical heritage which provides the University with a powerful means for community engagement and an iconic brand that is recognized by numerous musicians and music fans around the world; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Student Government believes that the University Unions management did not seek sufficient student input before announcing this decision, which significantly impacts the student body; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Student Government calls upon the University Unions management and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs to revisit the decision to close and/or repurpose the Cactus Cafe; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be sent to the Office of the President, the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Office of the Dean of Students, the President of the Graduate Student Assembly, the President of the Senate of College Councils, the members of the University Unions Board of Directors, the President of the Student Events Center, Friends of the Cactus Cafe, and Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe.

Goals for the Cactus Cafe

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:16:17 -0600

Although there is an ongoing discussion among the members of the group holding formal conversations with UT about the future of the Cactus Cafe, Friends of the Cactus Cafe feels that it is important to share with you these goals that the group has agreed on, so far:

Continuation of current diverse Cactus Cafe programming to assure the preservation of the fundamental character of the venue, with expansion to include additional diverse programming.
Continuation of daily (six days per week) cafe and bar operations with supervision by professional experienced staff.
Increased student involvement in operations and programming of, and performing in, the Cactus Cafe, working with professional and experienced staff, and interfacing with professional musicians, through student artist-in-residence and internship programs, and employment opportunities.
Enhance student hands-on learning through the Cactus Cafe.
A financially self-sustaining business model that will support the above.
Provide a structure for short and long term community input and support.

Free screening of “University Inc.”

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:39:55 -0600

Protestor in “University Inc.”

Mark your calendars for next Tuesday evening, April 6, for this free screening of University Inc., presented by Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe. (We mentioned this film a couple of weeks ago.) The public is invited and there will be a discussion afterward with the film’s creator, Kyle Henry, and others.

What: University Inc.
Where: Texas Union Theater
When: Tuesday, April 6, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Who: Presented by Student Friends of the Cactus Cafe, with a post-screening discussion with the film’s creator, Kyle Henry, and others.

AusChron: Travis County Dems urge TX Union to preserve the Cactus Cafe

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:22:50 -0600

From this week’s issue of the Austin Chronicle (“Cactus, Informal Classes: Friends in High Places”):

…[T]he Travis County Democratic Party annual convention passed a resolution calling on the Texas Union board “to commit to keeping the Cactus Cafe open in its present form, preserving its fundamental character and keep the Informal Classes as an offering to the Austin community.”…

Congrats & thanks to tix winners

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:48:50 -0600

Congratulations to volunteer Charlotte Jernigan and Canadian Cactus Cafe supporter James Whitmire — who happens to be in town and who, with Charlotte, is one of our Cactus Cafe ticket winners.

Photo of Eliza Gilkyson
by Adam Piggott

Sign up now for next week’s ticket giveaways: Rhett Butler and Elyza Gilkyson. To sign up, complete the “Please join us” form at the upper right of our website pages or select the “Volunteer” menu item on our website.

Daily Texan: Cactus Cafe sees increase in profits

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:44:41 -0600

This is in today’s issue of The Daily Texan:
• “Cactus Cafe sees increase in profits”

“While the Cactus Cafe’s future may be blue and its past budget may be in the red, the recent controversy surrounding the on-campus music venue suddenly has the cafe seeing the green.
“The Cactus Cafe made a profit of nearly $12,500 in the month of February alone, a 232-percent increase from the same month last year, according to financial documents obtained by The Daily Texan through the Texas Public Information Act. February marked the first full month after the closing of the Cactus Cafe was publicly announced by the University.…”

more…

Join these volunteers who are doing their part

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:30:37 -0600

Our volunteers petitioning
at the Farmers Market

If you’re reading this before 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning, you still have time either to join or to both join and volunteer to qualify for the two free pairs of tickets we’ve bought for tonight’s (Thursday’s) performance of Battlefield Band.

Complete the “Please join us” form at the upper right of our website pages and reply to the confirmation email to qualify for one chance at the pair of tickets or complete the volunteer sign-up form by selecting the “Volunteer” menu item on our website to qualify for two chances at the tickets. We’ll follow via email with details for those interested in entering the final drawing.

Artists who are doing their part

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:32:43 -0600

Colin Gilmore writes “I’ll do my part to see that the Cactus stays open.” Read what else he, Steve Forbert and Peter Rowan have to say in support of the Cactus Cafe in the latest additions to our “Artists say…” page.

Free Tickets to see Battlefield Band

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:19:16 -0600

Photo: louis DeCarlo

We’ll be giving away two pairs of tickets to attend the Battlefield Band’s performance at the Cactus Cafe Thursday* night: One pair to someone on our email list and one pair to someone on our volunteer list.

Volunteering doubles your chances. To be eligible, you must sign up by 10:30 a.m., Thursday, then watch for an email (or two emails, if you’ve signed up to be a volunteer) at around 11:00 a.m. for more details on how to win. To join, complete the “Join” form at the upper right of our website and respond to the confirmation email. To volunteer, select the “Volunteer” link on our website and complete the form. (Volunteering will include you on both lists.)

* Earlier, we posted that Battlefield Band would be performing Wednesday, but we subsequently learned that, due to a scheduling error, they will actually be in Houston on Wednesday and at the Cactus Cafe on Thursday. At this writing, the Cactus Cafe website still shows the incorrect information, but they have promised to update it with the correct date and time. —Ed.