Editor,
I was surprised and troubled by the lack of statistical detail used to justify the proposed new recreation center in yesterday's article, "Construction of new rec center could raise fees."
More than 3,200 students responded to the survey on the proposed recreation center, but how many students were solicited for responses, and what could this number tell us about how important the proposition really is to students?
If the proportion of responded to solicited surveys was low, I'm sure our administrators would love to say, "Oh, most of the students were surely too busy furiously studying intellectual subjects. They didn't have enough time to respond to the survey." But it is more realistic to infer that these nonresponders didn't find the matter of a recreation center to be important, and they were probably unaware that they were going to be charged $100 a year for not speaking up.
For a little more than $100, a student could buy his or her own bench press. But of course, the recreation center would provide a lot more equipment than one could ever afford on one's own. How is this possible? It's possible only by taxing thousands of students who will never use the recreation center.
ASUNM President Ashley Fate attempted to justify the project by speculating that it will help UNM draw and retain more students. I can't help but wonder why drawing and retaining more students should be the ASUNM president's concern. This sounds more like a concern of someone who has a financial interest in the University's expansion, and it is folly to think that expansionist principles benefit anyone else. More students require more services, more facilities, more faculty, more administration and more fees. More students, faculty and classes are detrimental to and distracting from the independent intellectual work required for real, meaningful and lasting knowledge.
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If anything, this University needs to get a hell of a lot smaller. But of course Fate and the rest of her goons want to see as many meaningless degrees blowing about as possible. To those who would like more recreational opportunities, I suggest you brainstorm ways to become more active and involved without forcing your filthy paws into my pockets.
I don't really care about government - student or otherwise. In fact, I care about it so little that I wish it would just disappear for the most part. That's why I'm voting Liber this year - because I fantasize about our University taking steps away from fascism and toward freedom.
Corey S. Davis
UNM student
