Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                            Matt Dulin    Barrett Goldsmith    Zach Lee 
                Jim Parsons            Christian Schmidt           Blake Whitaker

I-O-UH

For $142, students get an abundance of relatively cheap services, ranging from career guidance to psychological screening and health care.

But students also get more than $10 million in debt, care of the Athletics Department.

Two things we know aren't going to happen: First, the Student Fees Advisory Committee isn't going to tighten the purse strings for Athletics, and second, Athletics isn't going to be eliminated.

But there is one more thing you should be aware of: More than $3 million in student fees will go to Athletics this year.

Athletics Director Dave Maggard projected his department's $10.8 million deficit will be cut by nearly $5 million in three years. Newcomers might think this sounds great. Old-timers who know some history know better.

Chet Gladchuck, Maggard's predecessor, promised substantial cuts in 1999 when the deficit was mounting. But instead of being cut to $5 million, the deficit rose to more than $9 million during Gladchuk's term. Maggard can't be blamed for the further steps backward, but students now shouldn't let the numbers slip further out of control.

At the department's presentation to SFAC, Athletics officials didn't present numbers to show how they are fighting the deficit. There was no proof of cuts -- no reason to trust that the deficit will be corralled by 2007, if ever.

For a school that's said to lack traditions, one remains -- giving Athletics the maximum 35 percent of student fees.

That will never change, nor will the seemingly traditional Athletics deficit, unless students who pay the fees step up and speak their concerns to the fee committee.

The administration seems to be comfortable with the $3 million handout and the sprawling deficit.

But we don't have to be.

 Send comments to dccampus@mail.uh.edu