Cactus Cafe Closing
February 1st, 2010 by Eric Swanson
"Cactus - My Home Club" Townes Van Zandt
Cactus Cafe Waiting Around to Die
The bureaucracy and decision making at UT can be a funny thing. When UT hired a new general manager and a program director for music radio station KUT, they chose people without experience in running a music-centric radio station like KUT, instead choosing people with backgrounds in news radio. The result? Local music programming severely axed at KUT, sparking public outcry.
Another funny thing is Austin’s iconic Cactus Café. The folks over at UT have placed the fate of the Cactus Café, a legendary music venue and cultural institution with a world wide reputation, in the hands of the Texas Union directors, people mostly concerned with cheap bowling and foosball tables.
As you probably know by now, the Texas Union recently decided to shut down the Cactus Café, and discontinue all Informal Classes. Both are community traditions that go back to the 1970s. According to Andy Smith, the executive director of University Unions, the purpose is to save $122,000 annually.
Juan Gonzalez, vice president of student affairs, said “while the students understand the loss, they also understand there are higher priorities, and to direct services to students, I think, is the higher calling.” Yes, Andy and Juan are leaders who understand the higher priorities of the Texas Union’s glow-in-the-dark bowling. Why provide education and life enrichment through Informal Classes when there is the inspirational higher calling of air hockey tables? True, the Cactus has launched the careers of many musicians, and the Austin economy benefits from their success, but once the Cactus is removed, and there is more convenient access to a Taco Bell, just think how that will inspire and benefit Austin’s economy. Higher calling indeed!
