Whether it is Centro, Student Association Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the media organizations, including The Oswegonian, Student Association Programming Board or Campus Recreation; most of these organizations and facilities would likely be lost if the student activity fee became voluntary, according to Student Association Vice President Matthew O’Donnell.
Oswego State must follow the guidelines set forth by the SUNY system, one being that every two years the student body votes to either keep the student activity fee mandatory or have it be voluntary. The $120 student activity fee is attached directly to students’ bills and goes toward SA and the funding of many clubs and organizations on campus O’Donnell said.
The fee helps SA maintain contracts and fund the aforementioned organizations that provide a variety of services, information and entertainment to the Oswego State campus.
At 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 12, Oswego State students will receive an email prompting them to cast their votes regarding both the student activity fee and two SA presidential candidates on Laker Life.
The student activity fee has never been made voluntary to the best of O’Donnell’s knowledge, however he said that the last time the student body voted on this, two years ago, they came the closest they had ever come, with 20% voting to make the fee optional.
O’Donnell expressed that one of his fears is that organizations and clubs may hold grudges based on recent budget cuts, and think, “[SA] cut us last year, do we really want to fund them?”
A member of both the history club and women in STEM, Delaney Krasner said that she was aware of the student activity fee and its purpose, however, she has personally felt the impact of these budget constraints. Krasner said when she was a freshman her clubs were much more active, and students would only pay for gas for trips. Now club memberships have fallen as out-of-pocket costs rise.
While SA and the organizations and clubs they fund rely on the student activity fee to finance their affairs, it may pose an economic challenge for some students.
“Being someone that comes from a low-income family, we kind of dissect the bill a lot just to see exactly what we are paying for,” Fei Yang (Ryan) Gu, Lieutenant Governor of Circle K International and SA senator, said.
Gu went on to explain that he was not aware of what the fee was for until he arrived at Oswego State and began to get involved on campus. However, he said he feels the enrichment provided by clubs and organizations are vital for the campus in learning how to connect with people, stay informed and simply enjoy studying at Oswego State.
“[Oswego State] has a lot of clubs, and club teams and we are pretty [much] one of a kind when it comes to that,” Gu said. “I definitely want future Oswego students to have the opportunity to experience what I am experiencing.”
Photo by William Rogers | The Oswegonian
