An A&O productions concert featuring rapper Snoop Dogg, which was first scheduled for April 11, was canceled by Northwestern administrators in March because of security concerns.
University Police Chief Saul Chafin said Snoop Dogg is such a major star that “he would draw so many people here that we would be overwhelmed.”
Chafin said an area like Rosemont, with a venue such as the Allstate Arena, would be better equipped for a concert of such magnitude.
“If we had the right venue off campus that would be fine, but we can’t handle something that big,” he said.
William Banis, NU’s vice president for student affairs, said these security concerns don’t mean that large-scale concerts can’t happen at NU. If UP was contacted earlier, it might have been able to accommodate the security needs, he said.
“There wasn’t enough front end involvement for University Police,” Banis said. “Planning needs to anticipate issues that may arise with large performances and events.”
A&O Sen. Neil Shah said A&O offered to pay for any additional security required, but Banis said he wasn’t made aware of the offer.
In the past four years, A&O has staged concerts on campus by artists such as Bob Dylan, Ben Harper and George Clinton without major security problems.
But security was not the only issue plaguing the concert.
A&O leaders began planning the concert early Winter Quarter and set a noncommittal agreement with Snoop Dogg’s agent on the concert date on Feb. 14, Shah said. The Campus Activities Office approved the date, and A&O submitted a contract for the office to approve.
During the contract process, A&O realized the concert would be in conflict with the Suitcase Party, NU’s second-largest charity event behind Dance Marathon.
Campus Activities did not realize the scheduling oversight because there was miscommunication between the office, A&O and Suitcase Party, said Jeremy Wingerter, assistant director of campus activities. The charity event was initially scheduled for April 4, but the office’s records were not updated with the new date.
“Suitcase Party didn’t post their event on Plan-it-Purple, and we didn’t realize it was on the same date,” he said.
Suitcase Party co-Chairwoman Katie Turnbaugh said that in order to publicize on Plan-it-Purple, all contracts for the event must be finalized. Since that was not the case, the party couldn’t be posted.
“I know for sure it was posted on the calendar in Campus Activities office, but for some reason it was marked for both April 4 and 11,” and that may have caused some confusion, Turnbaugh said.
Tyler Milfeld, Suitcase Party co-chairman, said his group and A&O didn’t expect the mix-up. “Neither group wanted to have their event in conflict with the other’s because they’re both very important events on campus,” he said.
A&O submitted two weeks of possible dates to Snoop Dogg’s agency, Shah said. The agency picked April 11 and Campus Activities approved it.
“We don’t check the events for all the student groups on campus for conflicts,” Shah said. “Suitcase Party and A&O are still good friends.”
A&O tried to move the concert to April 10, but administrators wouldn’t back off their security concern policy.
After having his Evanston show canceled, Snoop Dogg now will be appearing at Otto’s Niteclub near Northern Illinois University on April 10.
“The tickets sold out in no time. We’ve been needing something like this for a long time.” Otto’s employee Darryl Smith said. “I’m sure everyone at Northern (Illinois) is woo-hoo about it.”
