Student fees were the hot topic of discussion at a student debate specifically for the matter discussing the issues of if these funds are necessary and if it is taking away students’ rights by using their money to fund services not all students use.

 The team taking the pro side of this argument on cutting these mandatory fees was made up of Ashley Pickhinke, junior in communication studies and Lindsay Budde, freshman in open option (LAS).  Their opposition, Travis Reed, sophomore in computer engineering; Andrew Storm, senior in speech communication; and Sarah Constable, senior in communication studies, supported the funding of these services had.

 “These fees are not letting us make our own decisions and increasing our already large student debt,” Pickhinke said in defense of cutting funds. “It has been proven that students with less financial stability have increasing feelings of anxiety and nervousness and less ability to sleep.”

The first issue they addressed is the $90 per semester that goes to the Thielen Student Health Center.

“This money is mostly used for Free Condom Wednesday or Thursday.  But what if a student’s religion goes against contraception or believes this encourages having sex?”  Pickhinke said as an example of students’ inability to influence the decision or the lack of rights over students’ own funds.

The team against cutting student activity fees also pointed out that even though the Student Health Center is not used by all students, enough students use the center that it helps the school by not spreading sickness and helps the overall wellness of the student body.

The one of the most expensive fee they discussed was the $190 entrance fee new students must pay.

Budde said: “Most of this goes to funding Destination Iowa State. My first day of the activities for this, many people were there, but the last two days barely anyone showed up. 

“This money could be back in my pocket and used for something I actually want to use it on.”

They also pointed out the clubs this money goes to only make up 25 percent of the 800 different clubs on campus.

“Clubs are about academic interests and meeting new people; they don’t necessarily need to be funded,” Budde said.

Reed began his rebuttal to the pro team’s arguments by discussing the importance of this funding.

“Paying these fees is an important part of being in the [ISU] community,” Reed said. “They help provide access to services that are used by a majority of the students. These costs are a portal to opportunity. You’ve heard that cutting the funding to these services will put money back in your pocket; this isn’t true.  

“By these services not being provided through the school, that is less covered by financial aid and more out of your pocket.”

The $230 technology fee students pay toward the multiple computer labs on campus was another issue that was brought up in the discussion. 

“Technology is outdated after being used four years and these funds also supply us with our multiple Internet routers around campus,” Storm said:  “Without them we wouldn’t have access to Internet.”