COLUMN: There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Student body president Doug Fiefia gave pre-paid meal cards to members on the ASUSU Executive Council, instructed them to eat lunch with students and gauge their concerns with USU.
Simply put, I applaud the activity and deplore the method of payment.
Student body officers should already be spending time with everyday students and finding out how they can make college life better for their peers.
Fiefia said the money to buy these meals came from an enhancement fund given to him by USU President Stan Albrecht and that this fund is not supported by student fees. But where does Albrecht get his paycheck from? According to Utah’s Right to Know, Albrecht is paid by state funds – taxpayer dollars.
Executive Council members receive hefty scholarships and/or cash stipends for their services, partly funded by student fees. If they can’t afford lunch, shouldn’t they be utilizing SNAC, the student food pantry?
Nearly every other USU student has to buy their own lunch every day. Some have parents who buy food for them – those parents also pay taxes that are used for Albrecht’s salary. Either way, we bought lunch for people who can already afford it and we didn’t have a say in the matter.
Way to go, ASUSU, you’ve successfully used money that wasn’t yours – that you didn’t need – to do something you were already expected to do. You’re welcome.
Except that you’re not.