After the dust had settled around the historic Associated Students of Madison election, University of Wisconsin community members gave their responses Thursday on the results.
With the highest voter turnouts on record, UW students voted the NatUP 2010 referendum down and named the new union “Union South.”
Students did not seem to have an issue with the proposed Natatorium renovations, but rather the price tag which accompanied them.
“If I go here for [graduate] school, I couldn’t afford it. I think it’s a good thing overall, but I don’t want to pay for it,” UW sophomore Becca Peloquin said.
No New Seg Fees member and Student Council Rep. Max Love said while good recreational facilities are important, it should not come at the cost of making higher education accessible and affordable to all students.
Not all students were satisfied with the results. NatUP 2010 President and Natatorium-frequenter Mike Bernatz said at the end of the day students would not be getting the new facility, but it made no sense to contest the student voice.
“It’s not going to do any good to bitch and moan about this,” Bernatz said.
UW senior Colin Wiesner said Natatorium renovations would have been a good asset to draw prospective students to UW and said he would have liked to see his brother and sister be able to use the new Natatorium.
Upon approval from Chancellor Biddy Martin, the new union will be named “Union South.”
In an email to The Badger Herald, she said there is no way she would not approve it. The final approval should be made by the end of the semester.
“I like the students’ attachment to tradition and respect the vote,” Martin said in an email.
Peloquin said she also voted for “Union South” as the new name for the union, saying nothing else was quite as intriguing.
Student Council Chair Tyler Junger said the fact students would be paying $100 million in segregated fees over the next 30 years buys them naming rights.
“I think segregated fees are a very sensitive issue. Hopefully we can find a way to get students to vote when there is not such a hot-button issue on the ballot,” Student Election Commission Chair Noah Pearce said.
