The Voice: Activities fees should be used for large events

The Setonian has reservations regarding Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Karen Van Norman's proposal to introduce a $50-per-semester Student Activities Fee. The majority of our editors feel that students pay Seton Hall more than enough money to the University as it is. However, we would support a fee under certain conditions.

The Setonian feels we cannot support a fee that will merely be used to supplement the budgets of the Student Government Association and the Student Activities Board. We firmly believe that, if a student activities fee is levied upon students, the money ought to guarantee annual large-scale events.

When we heard that Van Norman suggested the money might be used for a concert, our staff was excited. We hope, however, that Seton Hall would make use of WSOU's connections to bands and bring established musical acts to campus, rather than host unknown bands and artists.

What The Setonian cannot support, however, are simple expansions to SGA and SAB budgets. We feel that expanding the budgets of those organizations will lead to an increase in small events, and we question whether small events or trips, hosted by clubs or SAB, are the best answer to a lack of events on campus.

We are also very concerned that this fee might be misappropriated in an effort to cut budget deficits. The front page story said that some SGA senators and executive board members supported an activities fee only if the money was guaranteed to be used for student activities and not allocated to other parts of the University. The Setonian agrees with those members of SGA and we hope that, if a fee is levied on students, the money will be strictly used for student activities and only for bigger events.