The Explanation
Though the closure decision was made by administrators, it was formally approved by the Texas Union Board, an advisory body consisting of a majority of undergraduates, only one of whom had ever attended a Cactus performance. Many people came to believe that these six students - who learned of the decision, discussed it, and approved it in about one hour - were cynically manipulated by adult administrators. As a firestorm of protest began, they tried to explain themselves in this campus-wide email. As discussed in Cactus Burning, their explanation did their case more harm than good.