Our student Government Association needs a new theme song, and I have a good suggestion. Remember Donald Trump’s “Apprentice” theme? The lyrics begin, “Money, Money, Money, Money . Money!”
The O’Jays, singing “For the Love of the Money,” might have had our student government in mind when they were singing this song back in the ’70s. Or, perhaps SGA President Andrew Clifton and Financial Vice President John Curry were listening to this song when they were drafting their resolution to increase student activity fees to $55 per semester for the year after next, and by 5 percent automatically each year thereafter.
Either way, SGA decided, on Feb. 6, that they want more of your “lean, mean, mean green, almighty dollar.”
All right, enough song lyrics, let’s take a look at some numbers. The current student activity fee is $45 per semester, or $90 per academic year. Student activity fees are collected and used by our student government to provide educational and entertaining programming here at Saint Louis University. SGA proposes two increases: The first increase is proposed at $10 per semester (raising the fee to $55 per semester).
The second increase is an automatic 5 percent each and every year after the first $55-per-semester new fee. As Saint Louis University educates approximately 7,100 undergraduates, SGA is requesting an additional $142,000 in their first proposed increase, and an additional automatic $39,050, assuming the same enrollment in its second proposed increases.
Confused? Let’s break it down. We’ll introduce Steven Student and Paula Pupil. Steven is an incoming freshman. He is here on a partial scholarship. He and his family cannot afford to pay the ever-increasing tuition here. Thus, he and his family take out loans to pay for his education. Assuming SGA’s proposed activity fee increase passes, Steven Student is paying $110 in fees (not including the $100 student union fee, $100 student recreation fee, $100 Student technology fee and additional fees for labs).
Steven is not upset with this fee his freshman year. He knows nothing else. When his activity fee increases 5 percent automatically during his sophomore year, Steven wonders how this has happened without a direct vote by the students. He pays $127.33 to SGA his senior year due to the automatic 5 percent increase. Paula Pupil is an incoming freshman the year after Steven Student has graduated. Paula will end up paying $154.78 to SGA during her senior year.
I could introduce you to more fictitious students, but the point is that the fee just keeps growing without a vote from Steven, Paula, or any other student.
SGA has said that a fee increase would “enhance student life” by “holding large[r] concerts and bring[ing] notable speakers to campus.” Why do they have to increase the fees automatically to do this? Currently, anytime SGA wants to up our fees, the entire student body has to approve or reject the increase via an all campus referendum. SGA essentially wants current students to approve a one-time, $10 increase in the semester activity fee, and then vote to approve an automatic, 5 percent increase which will take away the checks and balances system of power that the student body currently holds.
While SGA has offered, and will continue to offer, valid reasons to increase the fee, nothing justifies taking away the right students have to approve or reject each and every activity fee increase.
On Feb. 25, all undergraduate students will have the opportunity to tell SGA what they think of the proposed increase. You will be asked to vote yes or no to the fee’s $10 increase and the 5 percent automatic increase each year thereafter.
Think about Steven Student and Paula Pupil, and how your vote will inherently take away theirs. Or, just think about yourself and the proposed $10 increase.
As The O’Jays sang, “Money, money, money, money, money . Some people got to have it, some people really need it.”
Chris Wintrode is a former Graduate School Senator and a student in the School of Law and School of Public Health.
