Pay to play

Membership terminated.

That's the message many University of Arizona students will find greeting them at the Student Recreation Center.

A new card reading system on patrol at the front desk was put into use last Thursday to make sure only students who have paid their summer Rec Center fee are using the facilities.

Students who have not paid are welcomed with computer error messages like "membership terminated" or "currently ineligible."

"We're using the new system out of necessity. Before, it was hard to tell who we should be letting in and who we shouldn't. It just didn't work," Facilities Coordinator Kim Clark said.

Students only had to flash their CatCard to gain entry into the center before the new system was put in place.

Students enrolled for the fall will not be allowed into the center until they pay a $12.50 fee for the remainder of the summer. But if they want to get into the Rec Center before second summer session starts Monday, the cost is $25.

The $25 Rec Center fee is mandatory with the cost of summer tuition. Students not currently enrolled for summer never paid the fee and are consequently not eligible to use the facility.

"I know it's lousy for some people, but it's only fair," sophomore Christy Langen said. "I don't want to be the only gym-goer paying to use the place."

Ben Kriederman, a biology senior, is taking summer courses but still disagrees with the policy.

"If they know people are coming back for the next semester, I think it's pretty crappy they are doing this," he said. "They're just bleeding the students for more money at every turn."

The Rec Center plans to permanently attach the new card reader to the turnstiles soon so the desk assistant won't have to manually slide student's cards. The turnstiles will be locked and will only work when a valid card activates the system.

The new card reading system is affecting more than those who want to use the facilities.

Rec Center employee Jenny Bennie has turned away many students since last week, and said most are upset.

"They are very testy - very mean to me," she said.

The business office has been "crazy," Bennie said, because so many students are paying the fees.

Junior Alex Tyson, who is working at the UA but not taking summer classes, said the new system is a pain.

"I'm on campus all day, probably more often than those who are enrolled in classes," he said. "The last thing I want to hear is that my membership has been terminated."