Tickets for Saturday's Gala went back on sale Sunday after being put on hold Thursday, a few days after Student Labor Alliance members informed the event's organizers of claims of unfair labor practices made by workers at the Westin Providence hotel, the previously scheduled location.
The Gala will instead be held in and around Andrews Dining Hall and on the terrace above it, according to Neil Parikh '11, president of the 2011 Class Board. He said a tent will cover the terrace and other areas to prevent a repeat of last year's muddy Gala.
"It was kind of a last-minute decision, but I think we got lucky," Parikh said. The organizers have received assistance from Brown's catering services, who put them in touch with the company that caters alumni functions on campus, he added.
The event is organized by the Class Boards and the Key Society.
Ticket prices for the new venue will be reduced by five dollars to $20 in advance and $25 at the door, according to Parikh, though the total cost to put on the event is not yet known.
He said the on-campus event should cost about $20,000, adding that he was not sure whether the organizers would be held liable for a $20,000 minimum food fee included in their contract with the Westin, including a $5,000 deposit that has already been made to the hotel. The University's lawyers were pursuing the matter, he said.
Brown's Vice President and General Counsel Beverly Ledbetter said she was not the attorney from the Office of the General Counsel in charge of the Gala contract, but said that in cases like this, at least the deposit would be non-refundable, and possibly more.
"It would be up to the Westin and any goodwill they wish to bestow on the students," Ledbetter said. The attorney from her office responsible for the case could not be reached Sunday night.
According to an unfinalized draft of the contract obtained by The Herald, the only situations in which the agreement could be nullified are "acts of God, government authority, disaster, strikes, civil disorders, or other emergencies, any of which make it illegal or impossible to provide the facilities and/or services" for the event. The Westin's management did not return repeated requests for comment.
Sheetal Sehgal '10, co-president of the 2010 Class Board, said near the end of ticket sales Sunday that about 500 tickets had gone. The capacity of the event will be determined Tuesday by the fire marshal. Based on that estimate and the weather, she said, tickets may sell at the door Saturday as well.
Sehgal and Key Society Secretary Mayra Reyes '10, who were selling tickets Sunday, said very few guests raised concerns about the venue change. In fact, many guests that The Herald interviewed Sunday afternoon were pleased with the new location.
Jing Xu '10 said she was excited about the outdoor venue and happy to not have to travel to the Westin.
"It's just so fresh," she said. "Dance parties are always inside and it gets so hot."
Kelly Glaser '10 and Patrick Corey '10 said they were conflicted when they found out about the labor dispute at the Westin because they did not want to miss Gala their senior year but wanted to support the boycott. After buying their tickets Sunday afternoon, they could not say whether they would have bought tickets if the event were held at the Westin, but agreed the venue change made the decision much clearer.
Nathaniel Ford '11 said he put his decision to attend Gala on hold when he went to buy his ticket last week in J. Walter Wilson and saw the Student Labor Alliance's sign about the Westin's labor dispute.
"It gave me enough pause that I didn't take immediate action to buy a ticket," he said. Instead, he bought his ticket Sunday, after the venue change was announced.
Still, some students, like Dave Gagnon '10, were not strongly affected by the change of venue. Gagnon said he is happy there will be less "drama" at the new location, but he just wants to have a good time with his friends, which he said he could have done at either location.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Gala has even won over a few unexpected guests.
SLA member Rebecca Rast '13 said she had considered going, but decided not to upon learning that the event was scheduled to be at the Westin. But in light of the location change, she and fellow SLA member Olivia Singer '12 bought tickets Sunday, she said.
"We are really appreciative of the work Class Board and the Key Society put in, and we wanted to show that," Rast said. "I'm excited to go to the Gala, and we're very happy about the direction things are going in."
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