Senate debates student fees

The new intramural sports fee was the main topic of discussion this week at Student Senate.

Jacob Rissler, Andrews Hall senator, brought up that this year, intramural sports teams are required to pay $25 to participate. Rissler brought up that in previous years, each team was asked to pay a refundable $30 fee. This year, however, the $25 is non-refundable. Rissler pointed out that because of this, some students have said that they no longer want to join intramural sports.

“We need to be the voice of the students,” Rissler said during the meeting. He said that he was interested in bringing the issue back to Senate since he had heard so many concerns on campus.

Rissler asked about the possibility of intramural sports being covered by student activity fees rather than having students pay.

Aaron Prestwich, interim executive director of student life, said that the fee increase covers T-shirt and equipment costs for the sports. He said that the fees are a common occurrence at other college campuses. How these new fees affect intramural sports is a concern, however, Prestwich said. Prestwich said that he would see if student turn out for intramural sports has gone down.

Prestwich also pointed out that since not all students participate in intramural sports, having all students pay for intramural sports through student activity fees would not be fair.

Several of the senators voiced the opinion that some students also do not use the NPAC, but they still pay for it through student activity fees, and asked why this is any different.

Liz Rice, senator of E.H.P.C.P.S.W., said that she participates in intramural sports and would prefer to just pay a few extra dollars than to have intramural sports included in activity fees.

In other business, Spike Jordan, senator at large, brought up that many veterans going to school are having to pay out-of-state tuition. The GI bill, according to Jordan, goes off the highest institution in the state, so veterans coming into Nebraska schools from out of state are having to pay out of pocket for school rather than with their money from the GI bill.

Jordan said that from what he understands this is a Nebraska State College System problem and he is curious about how this might be fixed.

Prestwich said that currently a formal proposal to be brought to the Board of Trustees is in the works. He said that after the next meeting, he would bring back what the board had to say about the proposal.

In other business, Ashley Swanson, treasurer, said that Student Senate Finance Committee met for the first time Oct. 22. Swanson said that the committee is discussing changing club allocations. Clubs are allocated $250 a year for travel costs, but with the rising price of gas, the committee is considering pushing the allocation to $300 a year.

Swanson also said that there is $84,538 in un-allocated fees.