While reading the Oct. 6 issue of Technician, I stumbled across an opinion piece entitled “Carmichael Gym fee doesn’t go the distance”. The author claimed she “sat in” on the Student Government meeting where the Carmichael addition/renovation proposal and accompanying fee increase was up for a vote. After reading the article, it is apparent to me that she did indeed sit in on the meeting, but she only sat and didn’t listen to any of the debate or reasoning.
The Carmichael Addition and Renovation Fee Act that was voted on by the Student Senate that evening was the product of nearly a month of work by the Student Senate, University Recreation directors, Department of Academic and Student Affairs officials and university architects and debt management personnel. The original project proposals were not very well-received by Student Government members and the students they represent. Students were extremely apprehensive to the idea of a fee increase for yet another construction project, particularly another one that would involve students paying for years and never benefitting from the project. Students also did not look favorably on some of the aspects of the plan; many felt it either did not address current concerns or simply provide things that were unneeded or it was too lavish or excessive. Other students were opposed to the plan solely because it was assumed that student fees were the only method of funding it and no other plans or methods of funding were investigated. Because of these many concerns, the original proposals simply were not going to be approved or supported by the Student Senate. Fee increase proposals require a two-thirds vote in favor to be approved by Student Government, but hardly half of the Senate was in favor of it. In fact, more than one-third of the Student Senate had organized to oppose the plan.
It became necessary to find common ground for each side of the issue and work out a compromise so that repairs in some form, at the least, could be pursued for Carmichael. After a nearly three-hour meeting with the people mentioned earlier, such a compromise was reached. Representatives of Student Senate agreed to support the slightly smaller original project (with a $47.50 fee increase) in exchange for some guarantees: a guarantee that students would be a part of every step of the planning and design process for the project (to assure that the project contains exactly what the students want), a guarantee that fundraising to offset the student fee burden would be a priority and that students and Student Government be involved with that process as well and a guarantee that fees for non-student members of the gym would have their membership fee increased upon completion of the construction. This compromise still gets us a major renovation/addition project, it addresses many of the concerns with the use of student fees and it keeps fee increases to a minimum. It is indeed a great deal for the student body. If the author of that opinion piece had listened during the Student Senate meeting, she would have heard exactly what I repeated here.
I, personally, was one of the most outspoken opponents in the Student Senate to the original proposals. I even helped organize the opposition, but through some great discussions with the various administrators who worked with us, I saw the need and opportunity for a compromise and helped make that happen. The ability and desire to compromise is exactly what the student body needs and I’m mighty proud that our student leaders and the administrators (especially the folks at University Recreation) made it happen.
If this compromise had not been pursued and reached, the Student Senate would never have approved or supported any fee increase for the project and ultimately the UNC Board of Governors would not either. With this compromise plan and the support of the student body, we can make something great happen.
Respectfully submitted,
Jonathan M. Riggs
Student Senator, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Unofficial Senate Caucus Leader
Senior studying Animal Science
