NOT WORTH IT
(In response to Nick Ruland’s April 27 column, "$50 for your college's reputation.")
While the price of vanilla lattes hasn't risen significantly in recent years, the cost of attending Arizona State University has.
Due to the state Legislature's refusal to fund Arizona's universities, tuition has risen sharply, several fees have been imposed all while program quality is being eroded.
To clarify Mr. Ruland's inaccurate assertion, the fee opposed by the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate totaled $100 per student and would be tacked on to the drastic tuition increase that will be experienced by Arizona students next year.
For some students, the fee money will be going to tuition, or transportation to campus, or to pay off some of the other fees they are already charged. While $100 may seem like change to someone who isn't knee deep in student loans, or working 30 hours a week while being a full-time student, it has the potential to provide students with just a little relief from the mounting costs of getting a college education.
Finally, Mr. Ruland's argument that ASU students “maybe need to take a couple nights off from Mill anyway” and that we should just throw our institution a little “blind loyalty” is a gross marginalization of the roles of students at this University.
Through USG, we have the ability to provide input on our education and combat the stereotypically apathetic attitude that many attribute to college students. For me, that means voicing my opposition to yet another increase in the cost of my education while the quality of it is declining.
Nick Drews Undergraduate
