Students divide over athletic, rec fee results

More than a month after students voted on fee increases, the university announced none of the proposals passed. According to the press release on the university’s Web site, 213 favored the $2 athletics fee while 447 were against it. Similarly, 221 supported the $1 recreational fee increase, and 440 rejected it.Students reacted with mixed emotions.”It’s surprising because half the voters were athletes,” said Selina Gusman, junior marketing major and former athlete.Kristina Holland, a junior communication major, supports the fee increase.”I am disappointed because everyone wants to see more offered, but no one wants to pay for it,” Holland said.When Holland was a freshman and sophomore, she attended all home basketball games. She feels sports attract a lot of attention, whether it is here or at the University of Texas.Junior kinesiology major and basketball player Jose Alicea concurred.”It helps make a better name for the university,” he said.According to Holland, there were about 4,000 students enrolled at TAMIU when basketball was the only sport available. The numbers increased to approximately 5,000 when baseball was added a year-and-a-half later.”It wasn’t growing steady until baseball came to campus,” Holland said.Gustavo Quintanilla, a senior business administration major, noted that even with the extra fees, the new recreational facility is more affordable than other gyms in Laredo.On the other hand, alumni Andrew Villarreal recalled last fall’s flyers, which opposed the fee increase, claiming many departments lacked adequate funding.”Why is it so hard to ask where do we want our money to go instead of an ultimatum that suggests we are unsupported and segregated?” added Villarreal. John Perez, a chemistry major, agreed with Villarreal.”All students believe their departments could use specially allocated funds. Still, it is too difficult to make an honest vote without seeing the specifics of department budgeting,” Perez said.The results don’t account for those students who were uninterested, uninformed, or too busy to vote.”I do not care about the fee increase proposals,” said Mario Andrews, senior psychology major. “I’ll still go the recreational facility.”Lizsandra Paez did not know there was a poll, saying, “I had no clue about the fees.”Other students remarked that the timing of the vote was problematic. “The poll took place towards the end of the semester; every student knows that it is difficult to focus on other things other than school assignments,” said Adolfo Mora, junior communication major.