|
Where does all the money come from?
By Sean Smith
Whalesong Staff
A $30,000 Ford
Expedition has been, or is in the process of being, purchased for
the activities on the UAS campus. I have a few questions to ask
the administration about this vehicle and the reason for buying
a gas guzzler such as an Expedition (which is rumored to have the
worst gas mileage compared to any other car on the market). For
those of us who attend UAS and pay our hard earned money to do so,
where is there room for a car in the decreasing budget of the university
for me and the other people who are not involved in an activity?
I am involved in the workings of the university by taking
part in the Whalesong, so does that make me better then the average
student who chooses to focus on school or who works two jobs? Was
I, or any students, involved in the choice, price range, color or
amenities of the vehicle purchased? Why was I not notified about
a vehicle being purchased in the first place, if it is supposed
to be for the greater good of the students? I feel I should get
a say in what was being bought. Am I not allowed that right? Does
this car make those students involved in activities more of a priority
to administration than the student who has to support a child, or
the student that doesn’t have the time to get involved though
they wish they could?
Where did this money
come from, with the UA system asking students for an additional
10 percent raise in tuition this coming year? If there is a budget
problem, is buying an expensive SUV a productive way of handling
this problem and is it going to produce a resolution? I am losing
the logical reasoning for an eight passenger vehicle when most activities
include more then eight people. And where do these activities need
to go? Places around town are easily accessible by a 10-to-15-person
van that might cost 10 to 15 thousand less then an Expedition, with
10 or 15 more miles to the gallon. Do places around Juneau need
to be driven to in a monster truck? Who gets to drive this mass
of machinery? Can I drive it around, or is it reserved for only
those involved in activities? Will there be off road expeditions
that students can go on, hence the name Expedition? What seems to
be the problem with the current vans that housing and activities
already own? I have heard that the vans are broke, how much will
it cost to fix them? Over $30,000? The liability of a 15 person
van might be a large amount, but how is buying a brand new SUV going
to reduce insurance cost?
It seems to me that I am being ripped off by not committing
to an activity worthy of a vehicle. Let’s make things equal
at UAS. The fact is that a $30,000 vehicle is not necessary for
the UAS activities office to own, nor will it pay itself off in
the long run. With all the gallons of gas the vehicle will chug
down annually we could pay for much needed technology (Whalesong
office equipment in particular) and events that benefit the entire
school, not just a select group of students. The overall well being
of our UAS community should be on the administrative agenda, not
purchasing a stylish vehicle that benefits a select few. I, along
with most of the students on campus, will not have the privilege
of sitting my pretty behind on those plush $30,000 seats that the
so- called “intellectual beings” have purchased for the
“good of the students.” Even though I might not be able
to sit in it, at least I get to admire the paint.
Back to issue contents /
Homepage
|
|
