Segregated fees.

That nasty little "tax" on our tuition seems to be the bane of every paying student's existence. Here we are, debt-heavy college students trying to get by, and we are forced to pay an extra $350 for someone's political agenda? These fees have got to go!

Allow me to play the role of Frank Capra; let's live a life without them. Feel free to breathe in deep. You're the lucky recipient of a "tax-free" tuition. Yet, is it really for the best? Let's go through a typical day without them.

You've woken up, like a good student, to attend class. However, you hear a strange twangy guitar and fiddle coming from your alarm clock. It's then you realize WSUM 91.7 FM, with all of its eclectic, free-form majesty, has been replaced by 24-hour bluegrass music. Student-segregated fees provide this campus with student radio. Without them, artists like Girl Talk and Ratatat have to find a home in some other city.

Still trying to get that banjo sound out of your head, you rush off to calculus. You're a bit late so you take the bus. When you get on, the driver immediately asks you for fare. You try and pull out your ASM bus pass, except it's not there. Segregated fees paid for that too. You give up on class and decide to get help on the section you missed.

You try to search for a tutor but end up failing. The GUTS website isn't working, and the math tutors are unavailable. All of that is gone now — segregated fees paid for that, as well. You feel incredibly frustrated and begin to get a bit dizzy. Maybe you should go to UHS. Oh wait, that was funded by segregated fees, too.

Throughout the day, you realize there are a number of organizations that no longer appear on campus: Sex Out Loud has been silenced, and the MultiCultural Student Coalition is a mere memory. Memorial Union is deserted, not to mention dilapidated. There will be no more lecture series here. Yes, those annoying fees supported that, as well.

So, still think it's a good idea?

It's obvious that life on campus would be stripped of many of the benefits we take for granted if segregated fees didn't exist. It's easy to say they aren't needed, but those who voted for the Student Union Initiative might disagree with you. After all, a fair amount of segregated fees go to the Wisconsin Union as well.

Yet, that doesn't seem to be the problem opponents have. Students have spoken out against the funding of groups on campus with political agendas or exclusive appeal. The University of Wisconsin Roman Catholic Foundation was cited as one example, because it appeals to a specific part of the population and offers them a service. This is true, but it is not technically a student organization. Therefore, it doesn't deserve the funds.

The other groups on campus are a different matter. The groups such as MeChA, the LGBT Student Center and MCSC may be geared toward students of color and LGBT students, but they are not exclusive. As we struggle with making this campus more equitable and diverse, we have organizations for the white majority, as well. While many students don't use these resources, they should be encouraged to do so, in order to foster an atmosphere of diverse and fair treatment. Just because it doesn't benefit you doesn't mean it isn't needed.

There is nothing wrong with fiscal conservatism. In many cases, cutting out the unnecessary programs is a needed catharsis for any government body. However, these groups provide crucial services for a minor fee. Some claim that other student organizations can survive without segregated fees, so why do any of them need student-segregated fees? If critics need to ask why a student radio station or tutoring organization needs funding, maybe they should try it themselves without the funds. Let me know how Sex Out Loud turns out without funds for advertising and condoms.

There is only one section of the segregated fees that might be suspect: the amount of money going to the Wisconsin Union. Although I'm concerned with what student groups get my money, I'm more concerned with a profitable institution needing my money to expand.

This isn't just about money, though. Some students argue they shouldn't pay for programs they don't use or agree with. Many early Americans didn't agree with taxation for the purpose of public schools. However, in the end, they accepted the reform because it was crucial to the future of the United States.

Segregated fees are crucial to the stability of our campus community. I can accept the argument that certain student organizations don't need funding from the university. However, to completely eliminate segregated fees means to eliminate UHS services, recreational sports and certain tutoring services, among others.

If you still believe in eliminating segregated fees, go ahead. Yet, when you have to start spending those savings — and then some — on the very services you use for free, don't say I didn't warn you.

Jason Smathers ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in history and journalism.