Student Senate approved a bill Monday night allocating $34,900 in student segregated fees that will allow students to attend home sporting events for free next school year.
Currently, a $2 entry fee is required for volleyball, football, gymnastics, swimming, basketball, wrestling and hockey.
With the current status of the budget, now is not the time to offer this type of funding that will benefit so few students. Students at the university have the choice of whether they want to support athletic events. They either attend the events or not; at UW-Eau Claire, most students choose not to attend these events.
It is not fair, or wise, of Student Senate to require all students to pay for games when a vast majority of students do not attend or are not interested in the events. Offering free admission will not lure students to the games, either.
If Senate insists on providing funds so that all students can attend athletic contests for no additional charge, it should be fair across the board and offer free or lowered fees for musical, theater and other university-related events.
Granted, the extra cost per person is only about $3.50 a year; however, for those who don’t attend athletic events, we are losing money that could be put toward a cause that could benefit most, if not all, students.
Eau Claire was the only school not to have free student admission to athletic events in the WIAC; however, this was not a good enough reason for Eau Claire to adopt the policy.
Every school needs to evaluate its own need for such programs. At Eau Claire there is not a great student demand for free admission to sporting events. The money could have been better spent.