Valerie Little, 3LS
As if college kids are not bending over backward already, trying to cope with tuition increases and the rising price of textbooks and course packs, the Recreational Sports director now decides to charge a membership fee for gym use? The fee implemented will be for all students who are not enrolled in classes as of July 1. So let's say I am taking nine credit hours during summer A, and my roommate is taking 3 credit hours during summer C. Is it really fair that I am charged an additional $50 if I want to work out during the second half of summer?
Yes, instituting a charge seems understandable since there have been a lot of budget cuts recently. But David Bowles reported to the Alligator that he doesn't even know what the new revenue will be spent toward. Personally, I feel the decision of adding gym membership fees â€" on top of every other rising cost of a college education â€" was made without a lot of thought or consideration for the students. If you want to charge a fee, that's fine. But get a general consensus on a price students are willing and able to pay, and make it fair for everyone. Oh yeah, one more thing: I am pretty sure the number of students not enrolled in classes who use the gym is significantly lower than the number of students who are enrolled and opt not to take advantage of it.
