Big questions, few answers

With a vote on the student fee just a week away, the entire university community - students, teachers, student leaders and administrators - seems divided and confused about the merits of the $40 fee to fund the Student Union renovations.

Recent attempts to draw student support for the referendum have added to that confusion, and raised serious questions about the fee proposal and the convictions of the student leaders and administrators who are pushing it along.

Last week, UA President Peter Likins endorsed the $40 fee, saying the Student Union cannot be renovated without a significant contribution from students.

In turn, Likins convinced the Faculty Senate to approve a donation program intended to raise money for the renovations by giving faculty the option of giving back a portion of their paycheck to the University.

By volunteering to donate a chunk of his personal paycheck to fund the new Student Union, Likins tried to set a tone of unwavering financial support for the renovations.

Despite the gesture, though, Likins never said how much he would donate. He has told students they need to donate $40 a semester in order to be taken seriously. But how much is Likins willing to cough up? How about other administrators and faculty members?

Associated Students President Gilbert Davidson has been equally vague in providing specific details about his student fee proposal.

Sensing a lack of support, Davidson last week tacked a "sunset clause" onto the referendum, stating that the student fee could be repealed in two years if the administration fails to spearhead a major fund-raising campaign for the project. Like Likins, though, Davidson was careful not to define "major fund-raising campaign" in any specific terms. Without numbers, Davidson's "sunset clause" lacks teeth. It is yet another empty gesture designed to generate confidence in a proposal students still know little about.

Likewise, the resolution for a faculty donation program comes off as an extremely political gesture. The key word is "option" - something that students will not be given if they approve the referendum Nov. 18 and 19.

Students are being asked to take a leap of faith by voting for a $40 fee without any information about the specific plans for the project, nor the administration's role in funding the project.

The clock is ticking and Davidson and Likins are putting on their best political poker faces, asking student voters to trust them without providing real explanations.

Students should be wary of these smoke screens. Demand answers.