Trading ‘candy’ for tuition
(In response to Dustin Volz’s March 24 column, “Falling off the Platform.”)
So I’m not the only one not taking the “candy” on this one? The reason the idea of a fall break appeals to students is because it means five less days of school, right? No, it means the school year is lengthened by five days, which makes spring break come later and sends the last week of finals deeper into May.
Besides, this idea is hardly original; it is something the administration is already seriously considering, and definitely not something to center a campaign around.
In his column, Mr. Volz wrote, “There are more pressing issues out there to campaign on, and many things to offer students besides candy.”
Allow me to present a three-course meal (minus the candy, of course):
Why not center a campaign around the most pressing issue facing ASU students: tuition. Giving students the knowledge and resources, (including a six credit internship at the state Capitol) to bring the fight to the Arizona state Legislature is the only way to ensure that state money starts to come back into higher education. Fall break wouldn’t mean much to students who can’t even afford tuition.
Why not promise to invest money into the Health and Wellness Center, where wait times are astronomical and the facilities are less than suitable? Upgraded facilities, better equipped staff, and less wait time … This isn’t something ASU will put money into, so let’s make the USG do it.
Why not run on the promise to be transparent leaders that make realistic plans about how to spend our money? You will hear a lot about the $2.1 million operating budget of the USG. But instead of believing in expensive, narrow-reaching programs, why not require your next president to promise inexpensive, far-reaching solutions?
You’re too smart to take the candy, fellow students. Besides, you’ll want to look good.
Fall Break is just around the corner.
Zach Fort Undergraduate
