Money should not be the incentive for taking part in student activities

As a foreign student, I see the American life from a very different way. I graduated from law school in Mexico. I was surprised when a friend told me that the students that are members of a student government association- like ASUA- receive money for their "work". A letter to the editor, on Feb. 11, about ASUA human factor, referred a similar issue. It says that the Vice President of Programs and Services is not receiving enough money for her job. She is just getting $3,500 a year. Certainly it is a poor sum.

In Mexico things are completely different. I used to be a member of several students associations. Close friends were Presidents of student government associations. All of them were "just humans," "real people" and students. They used to take a full charge of credits. They had many exams and papers per month. Most of the time they spent more hours "working" on the duties of their charges, than studying and sleeping.

My friends used to organize many kinds of events. They prepared parties and sports events for 16,000 students. They coordinated the visit of important personalities, like the presidential candidates of Mexico, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. The university never gave them a penny. They did not receive money for the organization of the events. They did not have a "budget" to spend each year. They did not have a salary for their "jobs." They never asked for it. To get the money for the events, they used to ask for sponsorships, and they organized contests, raffles and parties. No matter how much work they had to do, they always "worked" for free.

There is nothing wrong in getting money for work. Being a member of a student group is totally different. If money were the incentive, I am sure Mindy would not be there. The way in which we see these activities is not like a "job." It is more than that. For us, it represents just two things: leadership and community service. Our engine is the pleasure to serve. Our desire is to have a better education. Our hope: to learn how to be better citizens, by serving our community.

By Joel A. Gomez
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 17, 1997