‘CARELESSNESS’

Students Blast Princeton University for Throwing Down $80,000 on Zoom Concert

The money is going toward headliner Jason Derulo and a consulting firm that helps put on live online shows.

Princeton University is dropping a whopping $80,000 to hold its biannual outdoor concert on Zoom this fall—much to the chagrin of students. The funds will be spent in part on headliner Jason Derulo and a consulting firm, PUSH, that helps put on live online shows. The university gave Princeton’s student government the $80,000 for the virtual lawn concert, since the group isn’t collecting student fees this year in light of the pandemic. In a recent email, the student government said it had signed up Derulo over the summer and had to pay him regardless of whether or not he performed.

“How can USG stand (with) its students who are financially suffering when it makes a blatant statement of carelessness like spending $80,000 on a virtual music show during a pandemic?” a student posted to social media. In the past, major artists like Rihanna, Maroon 5, and Big Sean have headlined the school’s in-person concerts.