Members of the Student Senate must decide tonight how to respond to ASUO President Adam Walsh’s recent veto of the $5,800 the Senate gave to the club baseball team to attend nationals. Walsh vetoed the Senate’s allocation to allow senators to ponder whether it’s right for student fees to pay for the entire team to travel after two players pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted theft last week.
The players were caught attempting to steal bags of Ducks and Beavers merchandise from the former Joe Romania building east of campus during team practice in the facility. Each took a self-imposed five-game suspension.
The Senate has the option to reject the entire request, to deduct about $446 designated for the two players or to approve the entire amount.
Many issues complicate this situation. First, the players have already been punished under the law and with their suspensions. Forcing them to pay for their travel might be excessively harsh, especially considering that varsity football players do not even receive five-game suspensions for committing petty crimes.
Fairness is also at stake. Past student governments have not punished ASUO officials or program members for breaking the law on students’ dimes, so punishing these players seems somewhat hypocritical and unfair. Granted, not all members of this year’s student government had a say in past decisions not to hold students responsible.
Finally, forcing Club Sports or team members to find $446 in addition to what they have already fundraised may be viewed as punishing the entire team for two players’ actions.
In this case, we urge senators to fulfill the entire request. While we strongly support the ASUO holding students accountable, rules are needed to ensure that punishments for students who break the law while participating in ASUO-sponsored activities are treated equally. Denying privileges is a sound concept, but it must be applied unilaterally.