Problem solved.

Organizers of an upcoming weekend concert are no longer scrambling for last-minute funding to help bring a classical violinist to Iowa State.

The Society for Indian Tradition and Arts (SITAR) discovered at Monday night’s Student Union Board meeting that SUB granted them $200 in funding for the concert. SITAR had requested $800.

Neelika Perreira, cultural director for Student Union Board, said after the meeting she felt it was her duty to help the group get the additional funding.

Several people Perreira spoke with the following day suggested she contact Tom Thielen, vice president for student affairs, and ask him to help fund the group.

Thielen spoke with several executive members of SUB, Perreira said, and “within 10 minutes he was fairly sure he could help out.”

Thielen said he agreed to help fund the concert because he felt it was an event the Iowa State community should be able to see.

“I see it as a partnership between SUB and student affairs, to assist bringing [cultural programs] to Iowa State,” Thielen said.

Rohini Ramaswamy, concert organizer, learned of the additional funding Tuesday night. She said she was relieved.

If no additional funding was found, she said the group would have been forced to charge admission to the concert.

“Our goal is to make [the concert] as accessible to as many people as possible,” Ramaswamy said. “Having it free for everyone would help that goal.”

Thielen said he doesn’t want it to become habit for student groups to seek funding at the last minute. But he said rather than debate the issue he felt it was more important just to get the concert to ISU.

Perreira said the SITAR officials waited until two weeks ago to present its budget for the concert to SUB. When SUB decided to reduce the amount of funding, Perreira said she was later approached by members of the group who appeared to blame her for the lowered funding.

Perreira said she suggested to the group that members attend Monday’s SUB meeting and explain their dilemma. “We helped them come up with alternative funding sources,” she said.

The money from the Office of Student Affairs will come from a foundation account. “It is very small, but on emergencies such as this I use it,” Thielen said.

Perreira and Ramaswamy were thankful of Thielen.

“I’m really pleased with how it turned out because Mr. Thielen was very receptive to the students’ needs,” Perreira said.

Ramaswamy said the concert is not just for Indian students, who are used to listening to this type of music.

“We want American students to experience some of the music we listen to,” Ramaswamy said.

The concert by classical violinist T. Rukmini will be held Sunday night at 7:00 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Admission, obviously, is free.