Spouses fight for right to Fieldhouse equipment
Student spouse cards are creating quite a stir among some spouses of Utah State University students.
Non-students can accompany their student husband or wife when they go to Associated Students of Utah State University-sponsored activities, theater productions or athletic events, but if they’re off to use the athletic equipment on the second floor of the Fieldhouse, they are consigned to a night of Friends and ER at home.
“We know [the Fieldhouse] is already being overused,” said Tyler Olsen, ASUSU athletics vice president.
Spouses of USU students receive many benefits through the student spouse card, which can be purchased for $31.50 from the Taggart Student Center Card Office. The card gives spouses access to campus recreation, buses and libraries. However, it does not provide access to computer labs or health services.
Students are able to get insurance through the Student Wellness Center for them and their spouse, so there can still be health coverage without the spouse card, said Dycie Leishman, Student Wellness Center office assistant.
The current stir in ASUSU is the restriction on the new athletic equipment in the Fieldhouse for non-student spouses.
Bethany Youngs, arts and lectures vice president for ASUSU, feels that spouses shouldn’t get to use the equipment because they’re not paying the increased student fees for it.
“I feel that they shouldn’t,” she said. “I want to know where all the money from fees and the cards is going before deciding.”
Olsen wants to recognize the needs and fairness for all students and family at USU.
“It’s a reality that people are supporting wives and husbands and we know that we need to address this,” Olsen said.
Iris Anson, a junior majoring in speech and language pathology, feels that there are quite a few useless rules when it comes to the student spouse cards.
“While they’re at it they should only allow [spouses] to use the women’s bathroom not the men’s. Oh, and they should only allow them to use the toilet in the bathroom, not the sink to wash their hands,” Anson said.
The confusion and discontent is because students’ spouses can use their card for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) facilities, and the first floor facilities at the Fieldhouse, but not the second floor equipment.
“It’s a joke,” said graduate student Brad Bowser. “I didn’t buy my wife [a card] because she wanted it only to workout, and there aren’t any other cardio machines to use than the second floor of the Fieldhouse.”
Bowser, who is pursuing a master’s degree in exercise science, is married to a non-USU student and has one child. He said he disagrees with the spouse card restrictions, especially as a graduate student.
“They’re trying to get more and more graduate students here, but they’re never going to get them because the school is not family-friendly,” he said.
The money for a spouse card comes out of the family budget, he said, and it makes no sense that by purchasing it, his wife can’t even workout with up-to-date equipment.
Les Essig, ASUSU student advocate, his committee partner and Olsen are aware of the struggles of married students and are trying to work on a bill that will make things fair to everyone.
Olsen said they’re hoping to change things by allowing usage for spouses during the “off-peak” hours at the Fieldhouse.
“It will probably include a fee, and then the collected fees would enter a fund used to purchase new equipment, so in the end everyone would benefit after some compromises were made,” Olsen said.
The second floor of the Fieldhouse was opened to spouses for a charge during the summer, when usage of the facilities was down, Olsen said. He added that the bill cannot be proposed until a full year’s usage data can be collected to decide on the fairest way to approach the change for spouses.
“I think as an education environment we need to support and recognize the married student population,” Olsen said.
ASUSU meets each Tuesday night to discuss current issues. Meetings are open to student input.
-ireneh@cc.usu.edu