The Observer

Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: News

Media Board chair Michelle Udem (far left) defended using a portion of the student activities fee for salaries. Former SEC chair Grace Bell and USG president Duwain Pinder (L-R) also spoke during the open forum on Jan. 28. [Click to enlarge]

[Click to enlarge]

(L-R) Parker Castleberry, Paul Brinnel, Ashleigh DeVito, Mathew Conger, and other members of the CWRU community listen during the SEC referendum forum. The forum was sparsely attended, yet the discussion remained continuous throughout. [Click to enlarge]

On Thursday, Jan. 28, a forum was held to discuss the Student Executive Council's (SEC) referendum. The referendum questions whether the student activities fee can be used by student organizations on campus to pay salaries to their members. If the referendum is passed, no student organization at Case Western Reserve University that receives funds from the student activities fee (SAF) will be able to use that money for student salaries.

The forum, held in the Thwing Atrium, was sparsely attended, though more people came and went throughout its duration. In the audience were many students representing various Media Board organizations, such as the Athenian, Case Reserve Review, Discussions, and Ignite TV. These groups are the ones affected if the referendum passes, because they are currently the only groups that use the SAF to pay their members. Also in attendance were students representing other SEC organizations, such as the Undergraduate Student Government, University Planning Board, Residence Hall Association, Interfraternity Congress, and Panhellenic Council.

The meeting opened with a summary of the referendum and its supporting and opposing positions and was then opened up for questions and comments. One of the main issues continuously brought up was that Media Board is set apart from other SEC organizations because of the very specific sets of skills members must have. Sarah Bixler, president of the Women's Glee Club and a member of Film Society spoke, explained, "it's a different level of expectation and a different type of expectation working for a media organization." Yet UPB President Brian Browne argued that "there are skill sets necessary . . . with everything that everybody does; and I think the question is why are some students paid when some students aren't?"

Whether or not this referendum would actually have an effect on all CWRU students was also a matter frequently touched upon at the forum. The only issue being addressed is whether money from the fee can be used for student stipends. The amount that students pay for the student activities fee each year - currently $143.50 - would remain unchanged regardless of the result of the polls. Approximately 40 cents of that amount goes to student stipends. "Maybe it is just 40 cents, but maybe [you could be] dedicating that 40 cents to putting a copy of Discussions or CRR into the hands of one more student," said Browne.

Sean Yeldell, editor-in-chief of Discussions, expressed regret that the issue had gotten to the point in which the salaries could potentially be taken away completely. "I sort of wish that the subject of the referendum could have been first, how can we look at standardizing [or] tightly regulating salaries?" However, alternate solutions had been considered prior to the formation of this referendum, according to Grace Bell, president of RHA and outgoing SEC chair. "There has been a large discussion about standardizing salaries; that is something that I don't think students would really get involved in," she said.

Much of the discussion involved speculation of how Media Board groups will or will not be able to function effectively without offering payment. Members of Media Board argued that the chances are good that at least some of their publications would probably cease to exist. SEC representatives pointed out that ultimately, were the organizations to fail, it would be up to the students to decide the future of these groups. "I think the point of making this an all-student referendum is that it would be up to the students...The SEC at that time can make the choice to set up another student referendum," noted Bell.

Emphasis was repeatedly focused on the exact question placed before students. "Currently the option is available that any group could pay salaries with the student activities fee, so the question is: should the option be available?" Bell said. In response, a member of the audience commented, "The nature of the small publications is to have the best quality product, and a lot of times to have that best quality product, you need to pay your workers to put out the best work."

The referendum was opened up to a student body vote beginning last Friday, and the polls closed yesterday at 11:59 p.m. "Please get the word out," Bell said before adjourning the forum, "We really want it to be a question about what is best for the students and their student activities fee."

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