Fight for your right (to party)

You're bound to hear it the instant you walk into the Student Union for the next few days: go vote for the referendum.

This week through Thursday, the Undergraduate Student Association has opened polling for a referendum on the Mandatory Student Activity Fee, and you should care.

Out of SA's $3.8 million budget and all the fees that students are required to pay, the Student Activity Fee is the only funding that students have direct control over. Each semester as part of your tuition and fees, you pay forward $94.75 to SA. For some, it might be too much money - money that could go into a savings fund so students can finally buy their textbooks or eat.

What else does it get you, though? Those events that are so heavily voted on, attended and praised (or criticized) every semester: Fall Fest, Spring Fest, Distinguished Speaker Series, Comedy Series, just to name a few. It also pays for student clubs, student government and apparently the university pharmacy.

This is why it's important to check the ballot and vote yes to keep the Student Activity Fee mandatory.

Let's be honest: there's still a lot of ill feeling toward SA after Sikander Khan was playing with students' money last semester. Students want to put their money in the hands of someone they can trust, and they want to know their money isn't going toward hoaxes or fine dining.

And if it's not animosity, it's indifference. Of course, it's difficult to combat student apathy on campus, but you're going to get out what you put in. If you want to have a good Spring Fest, it's not going to pay for itself. That apathy is going to be far more embarrassing come fall of next year when you have to explain why the school's Fall Fest is a no-go. Given the option to say, "I don't want to shell out money for an extra fee," that account is quickly going to dwindle.

As long as student money is being used correctly, there's no reason to not vote yes to keep the Student Activity Fee mandatory. If transparency is what you're looking for, then every dollar is accounted for in SA's general ledger on its website.

It takes a minute to vote. Take advantage of your right to do so or don't complain when if the Childish Gambinos and J. Coles disappear and you have an empty stage. Or worse, The Fray.

Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com