In two days, the LSU student body will make one of the most important decisions in recent history — to approve or reject the proposed Union fee. The magnitude of the vote and its effect on current and future LSU students has been well illustrated in the range of opinions that I’ve heard during this brief month of campaigning. Emotions always are involved when you are talking about money, especially OUR money; however, I would like to offer you some factual insight before going to the polls on Wednesday.
Let’s be perfectly clear. The Union is an auxiliary and therefore, receives no money from the University. Period. The Union is and always has been funded by students through self-assessed fees and by revenues it generates. In 1958, students, whose total tuition was less than $100, voted to pay a $10 fee to build a Union. Although the building would not open until after they had graduated, they understood doing nothing would get them the same in return. Since then, the fee has increased ONLY when students agreed. The Union never has forced a fee increase on us and today is no different.
Nearly 40 years after the Union opened its doors, the building is in dire need of attention. The Union suffers from years of aging coupled with an ever-advancing society. The building is not accessible to those with disabilities. People with disabilities must not only use a bumpy, inconvenient asphalt ramp to enter, but they additionally are forced to use an outdated elevator for which parts are no longer made.
During lunch hours, the building cannot adequately accommodate thousands of students who need a place to study or better yet, a place to sit down and eat.
In the afternoons and evenings, meeting rooms are occupied by student organizations while others meet in residence halls and off-campus apartments because they either could not get a room or a room compatible to what they needed.
After hours, commuting students often are scrambling to find an available computer and printer to type that last-minute paper because this campus doesn’t offer a secure, 24-hour computer lab.
As if the inconveniences to students were not enough, the building suffers from asbestos, rotting floors, circuit shorts and rusted heating and cooling systems; many of the rooms are flirting dangerously with fire code.
Sure, this renovation and expansion will have features that make student life fun, but by no means is this merely a beauty makeover.
Then there’s the issue of money. The Union decided on the proposed fee increase based on what surveyed students said they would be willing to pay.
Additionally, respondents preferred a fee increase to be phased in rather than frontloaded. If passed, the fee increase will begin this fall at $10 dollars and will continue to increase at increments of $10 during the next three years until it reaches $60. The summer fee increase will start at $9 and will cap off three years from now at $27. The costs have been configured so students are not overwhelmed with one big price tag. The time frame was decided knowing construction cannot begin until all of the money has been collected. So, the longer we drag it out, the longer it would take to see results.
We could scan IDs at entrances and only allow “paying students” to enter, but corruption would make that useless (ever been illegally swiped into a dorm?). A building of the Union’s size and usage requires a broad base of support shared equally among the student body.
Some opponents even have argued that maybe the Union should collect more money from its venues (McDonald’s, Barnes & Noble et.al). That could be an option, but who would those venues transfer these costs to? I think I would prefer a self-assessed fee I know only can go exclusively to renovation and expansion.
I’d be lying if I said the choice was easy. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t emphasize the gravity of the outcome. If you vote against the fee increase, fine. Just make sure you know the facts and the limited options for action.