Editors’ note: The Ring-tum Phi editors updated this story on May 23 to remove background information.

Earlier this month, the General Activities Board (GAB) held its second annual Lex Fest, a country music festival for Washington and Lee University students. Some of its funding came from a conservative-aligned group.

The concert’s lineup included headliner Marcus King and openers Colby Acuff and The Wilson Springs Hotel, who played at Lime Kiln Theatre on May 2.

Banners at the venue’s entrance displayed the logo of the Southmayd Center for American Ideals, a conservative nonprofit founded by alumnus Jeffrey Duke Southmayd, ’73. This was the second year Lex Fest received donations from the center.

“Thank you for hosting a fantastic evening at Lime Kiln Theatre!” Chuck Smith, a Lime Kiln board member, said in a quote posted on Southmayd’s website. “It was a blast!”

Southmayd, his center, and Lime Kiln Theatre representatives did not offer a comment when requested.

The Southmayd Center’s mission is to “ensure the accurate preservation of President Lee’s legacy” and “nurture open debate,” according to its website. The site also says the center provides funding for service-oriented student groups.

Southmayd was previously a director at the Generals Redoubt, a conservative alumni association, but he started his center as a separate organization in 2023.

According to its annual report, the Redoubt has worked with Southmayd to bring conservative speakers like Matt Walsh and Mike Pence to campus.

Although Southmayd helped finance the venue, the student organizers of GAB, who ran the event, said the donation was separate from their internal budgeting and fundraising. Winnie Leahy, ’25, GAB’s general chair, said the center’s involvement was limited to funding the venue and negotiating artist payments.

According to GAB leaders, Southmayd’s donation went directly to Lime Kiln and never passed through the student group.

“As for donations, we work with anyone who wants to give the gift of music to the W&L community,” Leahy said.

According to its leaders, GAB students handled festival planning, including voting on performers, fundraising, designing merchandise, and promoting the event.

The group also receives money from the Executive Committee and began the year with a roughly $8,000 budget shortfall, according to Leahy.

GAB requested around $173,000 from the Executive Committee (EC) in 2024, but received less than $90,000, according to EC budget allocations.

Because of the shortfall, Leahy said GAB couldn’t afford to bring a rapper to campus this winter term, as it did last year with Waka Flocka Flame.

But Leahy said the group raised over $7,000 through student-run fundraisers, including hat sales, food drives, and “boo basket” deliveries.

“It was all student-run and appealing to our student body,” Leahy said. “You could have seen us outside Commons selling boo baskets and hot chocolate. We got creative with it.”

GAB leaders said they aimed for Lex Fest to be inclusive of the broader campus community.

“We want to bring them together through a shared love of music,” Leahy said.

GAB leaders said they hope to continue Lex Fest and expand other programming, depending on future funding.

“We’ll have a better idea in the fall, depending on our budget,” GAB Secretary Roger Hart, ’26, said about future events.