Rondelet expenses exceed income; carryover funds used to cover loss
Rondelet, held on March 25 at the Westin Oaks Galleria Hotel, cost an estimated $13,000 and made less than that amount from ticket sales.
Current Rice Program Council President Ryan Levy said it was typical in past years for Rondelet to lose money, but this year's Rondelet was a "big, big success."
Levy and Lovett College freshman Jennifer Lee were the Rondelet coordinators.
Approximately 900 students attended the dance this year, adding up to a comparatively "very large turnout," Levy said.
The coordinators were initially concerned about attendance. However, according to Levy, "Quite a few $20-apiece tickets were sold at the door," and this made the enterprise profitable, he said.
Of the three annual Rice formals, Esperanza and Rondelet are the biggest.
Funds were spent on the ballroom rental, floral arrangements, shuttle buses to and from the dance, food, a string quartet, staff, security and a DJ.
The largest expense for formals is typically the rental fee for the facility, ranging on average from $8,000 to $10,000.
Funding for Rondelet comes from ticket sales and corporate sponsors such as Copy Club, Cadillac, various credit card companies and movie theaters who contribute money to the RPC.
If the dance goes over budget, the money is taken from the RPC's other funds, which come principally from blanket tax revenue.
Former RPC President Lee Hsia said the RPC "lost money at every formal." This is usually not a problem, however, because "the RPC always has a cushion just in case a large event such as Rondelet loses money."
The Formals Committee has never in the past received a budget, because their goal is always to break even with ticket sales, although the committee has always run into the emergency cushion funds, said Hsia.
This year, for the first time, Rondelet was appropriated a $5,000 budget from RPC general funds left over from the 1993-1994 school year.
Initially, this amount was split evenly between Rondelet and Esperanza, each receiving $2,500.
Esperanza had an increased attendance of about 250 students this year. This increase in ticket sales, in addition to more effective budgeting enabled Esperanza to break even, leaving the full $5,000 to the Rondelet budget.
This money, in addition to a similar increase in ticket sales, enabled Rondelet to break even on expenses.
RPC Treasurer Brian Prewitt, a Sid Richardson College junior, said there were several factors involved in the increased attendance at the two formals, including positive publicity and better organization.
Prewitt said, "Ticket prices for these types of formals have been on the increase around the country.
"Many colleges hold formal dances on campus to avoid the expense of facility rental. We are committed to providing Rice students with very nice formals held at nice locations off campus," he said.
"The toughest balance for the Formals Committee is the proximity of the dance," Prewitt said.
He said that while students do not want to drive very far to get to formals, they don't want formals to be right across the street either.
"This year a big advantage for us was the optimal proximity of the hotel," Prewitt said.
The largest events the RPC is in charge of are the formals, eliciting the most student involvement. Esperanza typically has a much higher attendance [than Rondelet], "probably because Rice women are much more interested in dating than Rice men," said Prewitt.
The efficient organization for both dances this year increased attendance and ticket receipts significantly, said Prewitt.
Hsia said, "I think everyone had a good time there, although I have had a few complaints about the DJ -- he didn't play enough slow songs."
Prewitt said that it is difficult for the formals committee to please everyone in terms of music selection and dance location. "We need feedback -- to hear from people about what they want," he said.
This item appeared in the News section of the April 7, 1995 issue.
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