Student organizations will have to pay for and set up tents themselves this year at Fiestas.
In past years, Student Special Events provided tents for student organizations, but this year organizers decided to use those funds for more entertainment for the annual Fiestas, which will be held at Johnson Field on Saturday.
SSE Cultural Director Mario Montoya said the tents were too expensive, and instead that money is being used this year for more activities.
"We are trying to make Fiestas more interactive and provide more entertainment," Montoya said. "We got more stuff to keep students there."
Montoya said the purpose of the switch is to get better attendance.
Students can battle it out in a boxing ring, make their way through an obstacle course, reach the top of a climbing wall, check out a martial arts and drumming demonstration by the Chinese Cultural Center and meet firefighters from Engine No. 3. Students can also get their hands on remote- control airplanes.
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There will be Humvees on display and a battle-of-the-branches competition between the seven ASUNM executive agencies.
Four bands including Unwritten Law, the Surf Lords, A Summer Ends and Once Misguided will be performing.
Twenty-eight student organizations have signed up to participate in Fiestas so far, Montoya said, and three groups will provide food and refreshments.
The Lobo Racquetball club is borrowing a tent to participate this year because its funds have been exhausted.
"Funds for being part of Fiestas were an unforeseen expense," said club President Brandon Condrey.
Because tents were previously provided, Condrey said the group did not request funds from ASUNM to pay to rent a booth.
"I'm lucky to know people personally to borrow a tent from," Condrey said, "Otherwise we'd be stuck without a tent in the sun."
Condrey said the club had T-shirts specifically designed for Fiestas, and the T-shirt company gave the group the shirts on credit because it has no money to pay for them. Club members said they are counting on being able to raise the money at the event.
Thien Le Nguyen, president of the Asian Students in America club, said not being provided with tents was a downside to an event he thought was geared toward clubs.
"Fiestas is supposed to be for fund raising," Le Nguyen said, "It's costing us money out of our pocket."
Le Nguyen said they were able to afford the cost of the tent because they have done a lot of fund raising.
"It would be nice if they provided us with tents," Le Nguyen said. "It's a discouragement to some clubs."
A misprint on the event fliers stated that all student groups participating in Fiestas needed to attend a mandatory meeting. Condrey said he went to the meeting, and no one from SSE showed up.
Montoya said the meeting was canceled because no student groups had signed up to provide food, which was the intention of the meeting. He said the misprint on the fliers caused the confusion.
Montoya also said there are three student groups that signed up to provide food at the last minute. SSE is paying for a health inspector to come to its office today.
Fiestas is a free event that will run from 2 until 7 p.m. Students can volunteer for the event by contacting the SSE office.
