I am outraged and disappointed to learn that the Student Association Senate voted against placing The Spectrum's referendum on the ballot this spring. The senators rallied behind a decision made by the SA three years ago, yet I feel the senators have missed a crucial point. The senators were not asked to decide whether or not to raise the Mandatory Student Activity Fee. Rather, they were asked to decide whether the students of this university should have a voice in deciding whether or not that fee should be raised.
Three years ago, when the SA pledged not to raise the Mandatory Student Activity Fee for another four years, they had no way of knowing the economic shape of the country or state of New York four years down the line. There is no way they could have anticipated the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the economic downturn that has come out of that disaster. There is no way they could have anticipated a tuition increase of 35 percent as a consequence of that disaster, either. I agree with the editorial board of The Spectrum when they expressed that it is unfair to hold the current elected officials to a pledge they did not make. Sometimes it is necessary to raise the fee in certain situations, such as keeping the student newspaper in publication. Students deserve to have a say in whether or not their fee is raised. As demonstrated by an online survey conducted by the administration, students are willing to have their Mandatory Student Activity Fee raised in order to pay for a new recreation center on North Campus and renovations to the current center on South Campus. I am willing to bet that if the administration proposed building a parking garage on North Campus, students would be willing to have their fee raised to pay for that, as well.
In matters that will benefit the student body and the university as a whole, students should have a voice. A student newspaper is just as vital to the campus as a recreation center, transportation services, a health center and all of the other things that the Mandatory Student Activity Fee pays for. It would be an embarrassment for a university the size of UB to be without a student newspaper because the students were not given the opportunity to vote in favor of a fee increase. It is crucial that the students are aware of what goes on in their campus community. If the referendum were on the ballot, students would have the option to vote yes or no. The senators took that right away from them. The senators have done a disservice to their constituents by taking the voice of the students out of this important decision.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
