A public session was held Thursday night to give students and faculty a chance to voice questions on the impending EMU and Student Recreation Center referendum. Vice President of Student Affairs Robin Holmes was on hand to answer for the University.

The referendum, which will go to vote in early November, will decide if students have to pay for the remodel costs.

A 2010 online survey of 6,000 students gave undergrads a chance to express their desires about the new buildings. 79 percent said they would be willing to pay for the new centers, despite the fact that they will never use them. The money would come from fee increases for students, estimated to be $100 per term for the next 30 years.

Although it makes logical sense that the first class of students to use the buildings should foot the bill, the University wants UO students to start paying now to keep the costs as low as possible. Beginning payment before the end of construction would pay off the principle quickly and avoid unnecessary interest payments. If students end up covering the expenses, this will save millions for potential future students.

A possible compromise would be giving fee-paying students access to the building even after graduation. However, this would only be useful for students who choose to stay in Eugene after graduation, and also presents the problem of overcrowding the facilities.

However, there is a bright spot in this long, slow clusterfuck. Students and faculty showed overwhelming support for an on campus drinking establishment, and VP of Student Affairs Robin Holmes said Thursday in the ODE, “I want to have venues and opportunities where students can learn to drink responsibly.”

Yes, Robin, “drink responsibly” is our favorite oxymoron, too.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 16th, 2011 at 19:21 by Kellie B. and is filed under Miscellaneous. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.