One of the duties of our student government, the ASUO, is to provide a voice for the students. We applaud the administration for attempting to do just that. We thank our elected leaders for their efforts to educate students about and eliminate the new energy fee added to tuition this year. Since the fee was announced, the student government has been working toward alternative solutions. The Sept. 27 rally events, which consisted of a media event and an open forum where students could ask questions, showed us just how hard the ASUO is actually willing to work in order to get rid of the energy fee.
However, a poor student turnout and a seeming lack of interest in this cause definitely makes one wonder if these efforts are perhaps misguided. Maybe students, especially those whose parents are footing the bill for school, don’t care about the new energy charge. After all, it’s only $30 (which isn’t much unless it’s coming out of your own pocket).
Or maybe the ASUO’s efforts have been just a little short of gaining student attention. Either way, the student government needs to think about where its hard work and energy are going. While eliminating the new fee is definitely a worthy, important cause, perhaps it needs to think of new ways to approach the problem.
One thing the ASUO can do is appeal to the State Board of Higher Education. The State Board has the power to reject the energy surcharge — if we can convince them to do it. If our leaders truly speak for students and students are genuinely upset about the fee, then they need to stand up and demand that the board eliminate the fee.