Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

Winona State University's Newspaper since 1919

The Winonan

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Not getting our bang for the buck is a hard reality to face

Joel Farber/Guest View

Is my money going to a waste of space? I question this with one thing in mind – Kryzsko Commons.

Kryzsko Commons, our student union, is a place most students frequent throughout the day.

Students can go here in between classes for a place to study, go to the Smaug or Jack Kane Dining Center for a quick meal or even use it as just a place to hang out with friends.

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Every student has his or her “secret” place to get away inside of Kryzsko.

Some claim the high rise seats in Baldwin Lounge while others find space in the lower level dining area.

Students spread high and low in the upper and lower hyphens and throughout Art Tye Lounge.

For the past few years, I have used all of the spaces listed above. But there’s none that I like more than big spaces of East Hall and the well-lit Solarium.

Often, I’ll be between classes and head to East Hall or the Solarium only to find that students aren’t allowed there for the day.

Sometimes I’m situated in a spot, studying already only to have someone instruct me to find somewhere else to go. Flexible as I am, I usually just find another place nearby to work.

But then I thought about it – I pay money, just like every other student, to use this facility.

We actually pay about $120 per semester to have access to Kryzsko Commons. So why do we get kicked out of a space that we pay for so that a closed non-student event can take place?

I am more understanding if it were a student group occupying the space, because I believe students have every right.

But that’s not the case when I all of a sudden become a vagabond with countless papers in hand.

Maybe I am misinformed; maybe the “Student Union Facility Fee” is not a fee for the use of that building. However, if it is, and I pay $120 per semester for it, then I would like my $1.14 each day that I am told to move out of a space.

So, what is my call to action? I vote that every student is refunded $1.14 a day when a space is closed off in Kryzsko Commons. Based off of 8,000 to 9,000 students on campus, that would be $9,120 to $10,260 of student money that could be used for something else.

Instead of a student-wide refund, the money could go to something else important on campus.

Perhaps the University could spend that money on another $52,000 conference table as they did two years ago.

All sarcasm aside, I believe that students should have access to what we pay for.

Contact Joel at [email protected]

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