ASUN resorts to intellectual prostitution

Francis Mader
UNL Business Major


Committee fails to mention nearly‭ ‬20%‭ ‬student fee increase while‭ “‬educating‭” ‬student body
While encouraging students to support better wellness facilities,‭ ‬the ASUN Campus Wellness Ad Hoc Committee has neglected the substantial increase in fees for the proposed new Rec center,‭ ‬health center,‭ ‬and weight room extension.‭ ‬The three part referendum is on the ballot March‭ ‬4th.

‎Currently non-academic student fees rest for a brief moment at‭ ‬$405‭ ‬per student per semester,‭ ‬according to the ASUN website.‭ ‬With an estimated‭ ‬$80‭ ‬increase for these projects,‭ ‬with two of them costing‭ ‬$18‭ ‬million apiece,‭ ‬student fees could be estimated to be over‭ ‬$500‭ ‬per student per semester next year.‭ ‬Accompanying this projected increase is the‭ ‬$12‭ ‬increase for the readership program,‭ ‬the increased printing support for the Daily Nebraskan,‭ ‬and the general‭ ‬$12,000‭ ‬gift to the Dailyer Nebraskan.‭

In the committee’s efforts to educate the students,‭ ‬part of ASUN’s‭ ‬$440,000‭ ‬budget has been put to work producing posters and presentation materials promoting‭ “‬better health‭” ‬and‭ “‬better fitness‭”‬.‭ ‬Nowhere on these printings will you find a price tag,‭ ‬but only smiling people and pretty pictures.‭ ‬Even on the homepage of the website,‭ ‬the‭ ‬$80‭ ‬student/semester fee can only be found at the end of the Powerpoint and in the link to the senate bill.‭ ‬The bias is especially shown with the various booths that have poster-boards boldly proclaiming‭ “‬YES‭” ‬next to the information about new buildings.‭

Not only is there a lack of transparency in the‭ “‬educating‭” ‬part of the increased fees,‭ ‬but there also exists a lack in the personnel of the committee.‭ ‬Besides the president of ASUN in a relationship with the chairman of this Ad Hoc Committee,‭ ‬the principles of the members seem to be loose with proposals with the student’s money.

If there might be an opportunity to support a noble cause such as health,‭ ‬ASUN rushes to investigate.‭ ‬After starting the committee and appointing people,‭ ‬the committee gets busy and proceeds to take a trip to Missouri to look at other Recreational Centers,‭ ‬has firms evaluate the buildings,‭ ‬and organizes their findings after analyzing some relevant statistics.‭ ‬Concerned that they won’t make a big enough difference with a few necessary changes,‭ ‬the committee beefs up their resolution,‭ ‬attaching each project to the other in order to make it big enough to succeed.

However,‭ ‬while getting deep into this process,‭ ‬the members lose sight of the real problems and‭ ‬practical solutions while their imaginary harms continue to grow in their minds.‭ ‬They have become prostitutes of the intellectual kind,‭ ‬working for their own causes believing that they are doing a service to the general welfare.‭ ‬Diversity becomes their rally point,‭ ‬justifying their own impractical ideas for their researched then exaggerated problems.

This is the state of ASUN.‭ ‬A handful of interested students become campaign happy after wielding student fee dollars.‭ ‬There is no pressing need for a new health center.‭ ‬Nor is spending millions of dollars the only solution to our wellness needs.