[nycbug-talk] Student Discounts

[Tim Allender]

Practically all professional organizations have them.
Certainly, a "User Group" organization such as the New York City BSD 
User's Group should as well.
I don't just ~worry~ that the cost is prohibitive for CUNY students. I know.
I think the logic is upside down to say that Columbia students should 
get a discount and other students (particularly CUNY, being by far the 
largest college student body in NYC) do not.
It's not as if a discount would flood us with students.
It's more like we're locking them out.
I'm very disappointed.
I realize the conference is incurring more costs this year and that 
those need to be recouped but this isn't a killer; this isn't the way.
All this assures is that we won't have any other student's except 
Columbia students.
I suggest we reverse ourselves on this and give all New York City 
students $50 admission at the door.

I can only suppose we're specifically gunning for the prestige of 
holding the conference on the Columbia campus.
They're certainly not the only place we can find a sponsored location.
For future reference:
The Auxiliary Enterprises Corporation of BMCC has previously allocated 
funds for exactly this type of community activity.
And, of course, there's BMCC Association, Inc. and the SGA.
BMCC is the home of Tribeca Theatre. The Theatre is actually "free," 
though the theater crew and security run a couple of grand.
That is what the Aux Ent funds offset.

Of course, it's too late to take that into consideration this year.
Next year, remind me in August and I'll test the waters.
I've been a member of the board of directors of each of those 
corporations. I know exactly how they work and who we would need to talk to.
Of course, as with all things, there is no guarantee.
All we can do is beat our drums and see if they're up for dancing.
That is, if we can live without saying, "...it's at Columbia"

And, no, I'm not a student. I'm not gunning for my own discount here.