Do You Believe In ULM? Fighting the Enemy Within

by Kederick Wilson

When the controversial referendum was put on the voting ballot on April 14th and 15th of 2011 students voted it down 53 percent to 47 percent. There was tension on both sides of the augment, The University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) students felt the student government and administration did not promote the referendum properly. “I was completely unaware of the upcoming referendum vote until I saw a friend’s Facebook status about it. I feel the SGA didn’t inform students in a proper manner,” said Brittney Nobles, marketing major at ULM.

Students at ULM believe this referendum came out of nowhere. Many people, including myself, heard it from athletes at the university; which the referendum was geared to benefit athletics the most out of all the programs. Student government believes it had done everything possible to get the information out to students about the referendum. “I have never seen a referendum that has been this promoted and talked about,” said Brook Sebren, SGA president. Brook Sebren said the SGA went around campus promoting the referendum, held a rally for the referendum where 1000 plus students showed, and placed information on Facebook.

There is frustration all around about the referendum, but there is a bigger battle that is going on that the referendum controversy has exposed. The battle I believe is the non-athlete students against the student athletes. When I first heard about the referendum it was in my Mass Communication class, one of the student athletes brought the issue to our attention, suddenly, a conversation was sparked full of contempt for one side.

All the athletes in class was trying to promote the referendum because it would benefit the school’s athletic program, but in the discussion they were met with augments from non-athletic students explaining their personal obstacles going through college and how raising the tuition would put them in a financial bind. The referendum would have increased student fees to $130 starting next fall.

The referendum had other items that would be helped other programs like VAPA and campus beautification, but since the athletic program benefits the most from the referendum it generated the most intriguing augments, individualism verses utilitarianism. The athletes believe the increase in tuition is for the betterment of ULM, but the non-athletic students are more worried about their own financial situations. Once you get deeper in the augment contempt for the athletes come out.

For non-athletic students it comes down to two questions about voting for the referendum. Can I afford this increased in tuition, and do I believe the university’s administration can get the job done to where I see return on my investment?