Today you have the opportunity to not raise your “tuition” for next year, and that of future ISU students. All you have to do is go to www.vote.iastate.edu and vote “no” on the proposed rec renovations.

Now, I don’t deny that the rec services at Iowa State may need a little more funding to improve conditions, but taking an additional $214 from each student every year for 23 years is too much. “Tuition” is high enough as it is! This is basically a tuition increase; every student who comes here has to pay it. It is just presented to us as a student fee so the university doesn’t have to say they are raising tuition by $214 per year even though that is what they’re really doing.

According to Friday’s Daily, part of the money will go toward building a 25-meter lap pool, a leisure pool, hot tub and sauna. I really don’t see building and maintaining pools, hot tubs and saunas as an appropriate use of my “tuition.” Also, once 25,000 students have free access to the pools, hot tub and sauna, how are they not going to become overcrowded?

The city of Ames is already taxing us to build a new aquatic center. Why should we pay more “tuition” for pools that will compete with it?

Higher costs and inflation are not the only causes of our recent “tuition” increases. Part of the problem is that this university has trouble closing its wallet. This is a prime example. Please vote no on the rec proposal and send the university and GSB a message: We need a less extravagant and more reasonable rec renovation.

Andrew Schmitz

Junior

Agricultural Engineering