Members of the University of Wisconsin’s student government spent three days at the Kalahari Resort, training for their positions for the upcoming semester and enjoying water slides, with the trip paid for by student tuition dollars.

According to Matt Manes, the chair of the Student Services Finance Committee, SSFC has a $3,000 line item in its budget to send its members and leadership on retreats for training. The money comes from segregated fees.

For the Kalahari Resort retreat the total came out to be $1,800 out of the $3,000, according to Manes.

It was a mixture of fun and costs that went into choosing the Kalahari. It was an “amazing deal,” Manes said.

Although the members did not have to pay out of pocket for water slide passes and room and board, they did have to go through 23 hours of training in two and a half days, according to Manes.

SSFC takes a retreat, former SSFC Chair and current Associated Students of Madison Chair Brandon Williams said, to get off campus and allow the group to set aside the time needed for intensive training.

It is not uncommon for student groups to take retreats and training trips if the reason for taking the trip is germane to their function, former SSFC Chair Carl Fergus said. It is a legal use of segregated fees.

These retreats for training are not new, Fergus said. Past sessions’ SSFC leadership and members have gone on such retreats.

Fergus, who did not participate in the retreat, said the trip to the Kalahari was cheaper than the trip to Mazomanie, Wis., SSFC has taken in past years.

Not every member of SSFC went, Manes said. Those who did not participate in the training offered at the Kalahari will be required to meet with Manes and pass a test.

Those who did not show up, Williams said, will be penalized and are one step closer to being removed from the committee.

Not every person who went on the trip was a member of SSFC. Student Activity Center Governing Board Chair Katy Ziebell, Williams, Finance Committee Chair Matt Beemsterboer and ASM Legal Counsel Tyler Junger all participated.

Those who were not members of SSFC did not stay the entire retreat, but were vital, Manes said.