The Journal

Issue date: 4/13/06 Section: Opinion/Editorial

Jon Prouty

Webster's student leaders - those involved in Campus Activities, Student Government Association, this newspaper and similar organizations - can often be heard lamenting the apathy that exists on this campus. At the same time, they also complain about the recent reductions in funding caused by the university's budget crunch. In proposing a $30 per semester activity fee on all full-time undergraduates, these students have shrewdly found a way to increase the size of their budgets at the literal expense of an indifferent student body.

I applaud the Student Government Association and Campus Activities for their attempts to increase the number of events on campus and for consulting students before implementing controversial ideas. Unfortunately, too few students vote - or even know that this issue is on the ballot for the upcoming election - to truly gauge student opinion.

A majority of Webster students do not read The Journal so, admittedly, this column will never reach many the people for whom it is intended. But that is exactly why the idea of putting this proposal to a vote is such a sham. Despite the recent publication in this newspaper of various stories regarding the planned activity fee, several students with whom I have spoken with are completely unaware of the proposal. Their voices will not be heard until it is too late.

When they receive their next billing statements and demand to know why there is an extra charge, our campus leaders will hide behind the results of next week's vote. Invariably though, the outcome will not be an accurate representation of the views of students on this campus. Fewer than 400 people vote in each SGA election, and typical voters are the active students who would most benefit from the fee.

Turnout is often low because many students don't care - this time, they are missing the opportunity because they remain unaware of a proposal that will directly affect them.

Even if this was not the case, I would still encourage a "no" vote on the activity fee. Redistribution of funds for the benefit of some is almost always a bad idea and, in this case, the minority of students who participate are taking advantage of the majority who eschew on-campus activities.

Large-scale, high-cost events that the backers of this fee envision have not been attempted on this campus, so we do not yet know if concerts or major speakers will draw a high number of interested students.

Before we institute a mandatory fee on the student body, the university should organize a major event to test whether or not it would be successful. If Webster is concerned that the costs may outweigh the benefits, then maybe we too should wary of this untested idea.


Jon Prouty, a senior political science major, is a guest writer for The Journal.

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