By Craig Kartchner
Guitarists will raise thousands of dollars for children in need of medical attention this weekend, April 12-14. But whether the money will ever get to the kids is anyone''s guess because of a BYU policy.
BYU''s chapter of Operation Smile will host the fifth annual Guitars Unplugged concert this weekend in hopes of benefiting the national Operation Smile organization, as they have done for the past four years.
Operation Smile is a humanitarian organization that has been providing medical aid, mostly oral surgeries, to suffering children around the world for 20 years. All proceeds from the original show were intended to help fund the 25 or so missions Operation Smile conducts annually.
'The church has always been very generous with Operation Smile,' said Chapter Secretary Devan Griner. 'But BYUSA is not the church.'
Policy forbids funds raised at BYU from being donated to outside organizations unless the money is raised during Care Week, said Jeremy Rich, chair of the fundraising committee for BYU''s Operation Smile association.
'BYU has always bent the rules in years past so we could give the money to OpSmile,' Rich said. 'We were late in filling out the necessary forms this year, so we''re handicapped in what we can do.'
Club officials hope to raise more than the $1,500 the concerts brought in last year, despite the administrative difficulties. Members are also trying to keep a positive mentality towards BYU despite the miscommunications on the fundraising requirements.
'I have no qualms with BYU. I just wish the communications were better,' Griner said.
Jeremy Jenkins, BYUSA executive director with clubs, said the Care Week policy was merely inherited by BYUSA, but originated by John Kau, formerly in charge of club activities for BYUSA.
Kau denies this, saying the concept of Care Week has been around for at least 10 years.
'The policy exists to protect the students from constantly being asked to donate,' Kau said.
In response to the report of students outraged that the money raised at the concerts will not go to children in need, Kau said his objective was not to criticize Operation Smile or the student club on campus. He emphasized the need for clubs to follow the rules if they want to donate to outside organizations.
The BYU Operation Smile chapter is even required to rent the auditorium in the law building, despite the humanitarian nature of the concerts.
Kau said the university is happy to waive the rental fee and absorb the overhead cost of such activities during Care Week, but could not do so otherwise.
More than 60 clubs exist on campus, many of which try to raise funds for charitable causes, he said. Kau had no ideas on how to solve the problem of accommodating charitable drives of 60 clubs in a single week.
'The Care Week window is accommodating to a number of groups but on a first-come first-serve basis,' he said.
Courtney Olson, Operation Smile''s development manager for student programs at the organization''s headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, said she is constantly inspired by young people''s energy and creativity in raising funds and awareness of Operation Smile''s mission.
She was excited about the concerts, saying they were a great idea that would help children around the world. She also said a cleft palate operation costs about $750 and takes 45 minutes.
Griner said the club could potentially make up to $2,500 dollars at the concerts, if all 250 seats in the auditorium are filled both nights. That would be enough to offer at least three children potentially life-changing surgeries.
When asked why the money would not make it to those in need because of university policy, Kau said he was sorry, but advised the club to follow rules.
Rich said whatever funds the club generates this weekend will have to stay within the BYU chapter of Operation Smile instead of being donated to the national organization.
'The money will have to go towards club operations,' Rich said. 'We should be able to help support high school clubs too.'
Despite the fund allocation difficulties, students can still look forward to a great concert, Griner said.
Eighty-five different guitar groups auditioned in March for the honor of playing in the concerts, which will be held in the Reuben J. Clark Law Library auditorium (room 205) at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. Only 15 were chosen to play each night. Many numbers the groups will perform are completely original, with a healthy smattering of covers.
'The concerts just keep getting better every year,' said Rich. 'We''ve had more selection in music, better performers, and bigger audiences every year.'
The audience will jam to jazz, folk, country and Latin music, among others.
While listeners will enjoy the wide array of musical talent, Operation Smile club member Katie Wetzel said the real beneficiaries are the children.
'The $5 dollars students will spend on tickets is equivalent to a lunch in the Cougareat,' said Katie Wetzel, member of the BYU Operation Smile student association. 'But it could get a child in Vietnam or Romania one step closer to a healthy, happy life.'