I'll go ahead and apologize for the length of this, but this is a somewhat serious issue so if you don't want to read up on it then you might as well skip it.
The new officers don't post on here much, and they don't want to come out sounding like complainers because they're working hard to find a solution, so I'll complain for them.
The MSC Bookstore has decided to enforce a rule that gives them exclusive merchandising rights to the entire campus. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, except that they haven't enforced it for anything or anyone else in the last five years (that the guys have heard of.) They are not allowing the Rowdies to sell their shirts this season inside the arena, and have said that they will fine them $100 for setting up anywhere else on Reed Arena property (i.e. outside entrances, parking lot, etc).
Let me give you a little history of the relationship that the organization has had with the bookstore. When "white out" first started a few years ago, the Rowdies did not have much money. In fact, we had practically no money. So we wanted the bookstore to help make white t-shirts for this new tradition (if you want to call it that). The bookstore rep we talked to told us that they didn't feel like "white out" would ever catch on so they didn't think it was a good move to make shirts. So the Rowdies made a deal with CC Creations, who was generous enough to let the rowdies have the first order of shirts, and pay as money came in.
The Rowdies sold these shirts for ten dollars, and with permission from Reed Arena, sold them in the Arena on the floor. Well once white out became popular and the Rowdies had paid off the first order, we made a HUGE second order of shirts. Before these shirts even came in, the MSC Bookstore printed up white "Aggie Basketball" shirts, marketed them as the "Official White-Out Shirts" (which is crazy since we started that anyway) and sold them for, guess what, 5 dollars, inside the MSC bookstore. The Rowdies basically had no choice and we had to drop our price to 5 dollars.
The next year, Reed Arena made us pay some random "selling fee" to sell inside Reed. I think the fee that year was a hundred dollars, no big deal since at that point we had enough money to cover that. Then the next year they said that the bookstore didn't want them selling them on floor level, but Reed Arena would allow the Rowdies to sell them in the concourse, this time for a $250 fee for the season.
NOW, the bookstore has decided that the Reed Rowdies are not going to be allowed to sell shirts anywhere on campus except in G. Rollie White plaza for 3 days a month (or something similar, I don't remember exactly). This years officers have tried making a deal with the bookstore (like paying a bigger fee) but to no avail.
Here's why this is a big deal. The Rowdies rely on t-shirt sales for all of their money. This money goes towards buying food for people that camp out (hundreds of people took part in the free bbq last year).
It also goes toward buying away game tickets and selling them back to students at a discounted price. (last year the Rowdies bought a whole section of tickets for the LSU game and sold them to students for 5 dollars).
And student attendance isn't up this year just because Turgeon is twittering and the virtual guide is online. Student attendance is up because on gamedays the Reed Rowdies have been standing around campus in front of Sbisa, the commons, etc with huge banners that say "Basketball Game Tonight" They've also put yard signs on major intersections that say the same thing. So basically, the Rowdies have become the campus marketing arm of Texas A&M basketball (using organization money, not money from athletics.
If they are not able to sell shirts, they will not be able to do these things into the future. So I'm posting this to 1) make this known and 2) see if anyone has any ideas that could potentially help these guys out. They have been working hard since before the season started (those Kyrie/Keith Davis signs at yell didn't make themselves).
[This message has been edited by bobinator (edited 11/19/2009 10:53p).]
The new officers don't post on here much, and they don't want to come out sounding like complainers because they're working hard to find a solution, so I'll complain for them.
The MSC Bookstore has decided to enforce a rule that gives them exclusive merchandising rights to the entire campus. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, except that they haven't enforced it for anything or anyone else in the last five years (that the guys have heard of.) They are not allowing the Rowdies to sell their shirts this season inside the arena, and have said that they will fine them $100 for setting up anywhere else on Reed Arena property (i.e. outside entrances, parking lot, etc).
Let me give you a little history of the relationship that the organization has had with the bookstore. When "white out" first started a few years ago, the Rowdies did not have much money. In fact, we had practically no money. So we wanted the bookstore to help make white t-shirts for this new tradition (if you want to call it that). The bookstore rep we talked to told us that they didn't feel like "white out" would ever catch on so they didn't think it was a good move to make shirts. So the Rowdies made a deal with CC Creations, who was generous enough to let the rowdies have the first order of shirts, and pay as money came in.
The Rowdies sold these shirts for ten dollars, and with permission from Reed Arena, sold them in the Arena on the floor. Well once white out became popular and the Rowdies had paid off the first order, we made a HUGE second order of shirts. Before these shirts even came in, the MSC Bookstore printed up white "Aggie Basketball" shirts, marketed them as the "Official White-Out Shirts" (which is crazy since we started that anyway) and sold them for, guess what, 5 dollars, inside the MSC bookstore. The Rowdies basically had no choice and we had to drop our price to 5 dollars.
The next year, Reed Arena made us pay some random "selling fee" to sell inside Reed. I think the fee that year was a hundred dollars, no big deal since at that point we had enough money to cover that. Then the next year they said that the bookstore didn't want them selling them on floor level, but Reed Arena would allow the Rowdies to sell them in the concourse, this time for a $250 fee for the season.
NOW, the bookstore has decided that the Reed Rowdies are not going to be allowed to sell shirts anywhere on campus except in G. Rollie White plaza for 3 days a month (or something similar, I don't remember exactly). This years officers have tried making a deal with the bookstore (like paying a bigger fee) but to no avail.
Here's why this is a big deal. The Rowdies rely on t-shirt sales for all of their money. This money goes towards buying food for people that camp out (hundreds of people took part in the free bbq last year).
It also goes toward buying away game tickets and selling them back to students at a discounted price. (last year the Rowdies bought a whole section of tickets for the LSU game and sold them to students for 5 dollars).
And student attendance isn't up this year just because Turgeon is twittering and the virtual guide is online. Student attendance is up because on gamedays the Reed Rowdies have been standing around campus in front of Sbisa, the commons, etc with huge banners that say "Basketball Game Tonight" They've also put yard signs on major intersections that say the same thing. So basically, the Rowdies have become the campus marketing arm of Texas A&M basketball (using organization money, not money from athletics.
If they are not able to sell shirts, they will not be able to do these things into the future. So I'm posting this to 1) make this known and 2) see if anyone has any ideas that could potentially help these guys out. They have been working hard since before the season started (those Kyrie/Keith Davis signs at yell didn't make themselves).
[This message has been edited by bobinator (edited 11/19/2009 10:53p).]