That was the problem last year: all 1550 tickets for the event in Complex on the Griend were issued, but some 350 people failed to turn up, no reason given. Meanwhile, there was a long waiting list of UM’ers who would have gladly taken their places. “In an effort to prevent those no-shows, we’ve upped the barrier to entry a little; registering for the event is no longer entirely without obligation. We also think that €5 is a very reasonable price.”
Which is not, he is keen to emphasise that point, necessary to cover a hole in the budget. He is unwilling to say how much the event will cost the organisation, although he does add that the costs are covered by the faculties and service centres. So what happens to the €7700 raised by a sold-out event? “We want to give that back to the city and the community” and spend it on “integrating students”. That will be done together with the largest carnival society in the city, the Tempeleers, who could use it to cover the costs of events such as the College Tour about carnival, held last Friday in UNS 40 in Randwyck. “They also organise activities and events for low-income households around the city.”
At the time of publishing, there are still tickets for Vriedag Veur Vastelaovend. All UM staff members have already received an email with instructions on how to order a ticket.