Letter: Student Union not very helpful for academics

The recently revamped Student Union Building has opened, but as I recently discovered, the directorship of this building enforces rules that do not keep their clientele in mind - the students of UNM. More specifically I would like to address the policies concerning tabling in the SUB as they pertain to UNM student organizations and academic departments.

This past July 1 I contacted the SUB about tabling because my job, UNM Peace Corps Campus Representative, demands that I reach out to as many students as possible. I was told by scheduling manager of the SUB, Edith Shelton, that I would be assessed a fee of $25 for every time I wished to set up a table there. I asked why such a steep fee and was promptly told that much of the cost for this building was appropriated by the student fees charged to each of us every semester. Therefore, only student organizations can set up a table for free. The fact of the matter is that the state legislature appropriated the $25 million for this remodel and I highly doubt that our measly student fees will make a noticeable dent with the incurring debt.

My office is fiscally administered by an academic department, UNM's Latin American and Iberian Institute. Because of my attachment to an academic department I must pay the $25 tabling fee. Academics should be the central focus of this and any university and any action of discouraging dialogue between students and their respective academic departments should be prohibited. The SUB wishes to control our lives through irrational policies.

Furthermore, the SUB will only allow UNM student-chartered organizations the opportunity to table once a week, which diminishes the possibility of reaching the UNM student population. This past year I was a member of the new Students for Fair Trade organization, which is a UNM chartered organization. We had a successful campaign in convincing Aramark to serve only Fair Trade coffee on the UNM campus. However, we were only successful because we produced a campaign that involved tabling three to four times per week.

The new SUB will be the main gathering place for UNM students this year and in future years to come. The University needs to acknowledge this by changing the regulations regarding tabling. As it stands now, there is nothing "student" or "union" about the new SUB.

Willie Richardson

UNM Peace Corps Campus Representative

UNM Graduate Student