Letter to the editor: Why can’t I use the Rec?

This letter is to notify your enterprise about the misallocation of money, in the manner of fees, towards endeavors not in the best interest of student wellness. More personally, I recently went to the Student Recreation Center to work on enhancing my own personal health and was told that I had to pay past a number of visits because I was part-time. Also, a fellow student had the same unfortunate experience. I am imagining countless other part-time students have had the same scenario happen to them.

I am aware of my approximately $500 per semester general fee going towards my ability to attend all athletic events. The importance of the Recreation Center for creating an intentional co-circular learning environment is only overshadowed by its significance to each individual student in developing healthy behaviors and managing the developing and evolving interpersonal changes that occur during emerging adulthood. More so, it’s imperative for students to obtain the exercise needed to reduce stress and proactively fight the increasing prevalence and risk of obtaining a comorbid condition like diabetes, heart disease or obesity.

Quite frankly, I would rather money go towards that endeavor and pay per sporting event that I rarely attend. In fact, student attendance at sporting events across colleges, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, has been decreasing. For the article see “At College Football Games, Student Section Likely to Have Empty Seats” from the Wall Street Journal online at, http://www.wsj.com/articles/at-college-football-games-student-sections-likely-to-have-empty-seats-1409188244.

Please consider passing my letter on to the folks who decide where not only my money goes, but where students’ loan money goes that saddles them with debt, and where the state and federal government’s monies ends up. If I have any personal opine in the manner, please consider personalizing my bill so I may attend the recreation center. Most importantly, now that nine credit hours is classified as full-time for graduate students, consider abolishing the fees and limitations in alignment with the change.

— Zachary Rasey, graduate student