Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Opinion

Opinion Columnist: Jason Deuterman

During the spring semester of each year, nine students convene to listen to a series of proposals made by various organizations and university departments requesting funding from student service fees. It is these dedicated students, who make up the Student Service Fee Advisory Board. They are faced with determining how monies accumulated from the Student Service Fee are to be allocated.

They also determine the percentage increase in Student Service Fees for the following fiscal year. Students are expected to have confidence in the allocation decisions because the deliberation process, which continues into the following fall semester, is extensive and complex and fault is seldom found in their assessments.

However, as the proposed allocations make their way to the Student Senate and Graduate Student Council for confirmation, one allowance is perplexing.

Every student enrolled at Texas A&M pays $13.83 in Student Service Fees per semester credit hour. As the fee cannot exceed beyond 12 hours, the cap on fees paid by each student remains at $165.96 for those taking 12 hours and above. This fee funds services and programs directly benefitting students, such as student activities, choral activities, multicultural services and student financial aid.

The board also reviews proposed increases to the Student Health Service fee and the Recreational Sports Fee. While the increases and most of the proposed allocations seem legitimate and necessary, students may not be aware of a recurring sum of $10,000 allotted to Greek Life for recruitment purposes.

To preface, Greek Life is becoming an important element of the culture flourishing at A&M. Crush parties, date parties and matching T-shirts with an image of Audrey Hepburn printed on the back are some stereotypes students relate to the average sorority girl. However, one cannot argue with the sisterhood these girls believe in, nor can one frown at the good causes they support.

That said, why should students be forced to pay for the recruitment and outreach efforts of sororities and fraternities? These organizations are not in need of monetary support. Just ask the sorority girl or frat boy (easily identifiable by the deck shoes he will more than likely be wearing) sitting next to you how many thousands of dollars he or she has paid during their college tenure to enjoy keggers and the fraternal bonds of friendship. The truth of the matter is that it is the duty of these organizations to fund their own recruitments, not the majority of non-Greek individuals who comprise the student population.

Students should take careful note of how their money is spent and review the budget allocations for the 2009 fiscal year. While $10,000 may seem a minuscule figure amid the more than $750,000 of proposed allotments, it is still a large sum of money that can be used for a better purpose. This is a direct misallocation of recurring funding to a group of organizations wealthily endowed through dues and alumni contributions.

- Jason Deuterman is a senior English major.

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