UA students vote 'yes' on Wildcat Events Board and Arizona Student Media fee propositions

By RACHEL MCCLUSKEY Published March 8, 2013 at 4:03am Updated March 8, 2013 at 4:03am

The room erupted in cheers as it was announced that the Arizona Student Media fee and the Wildcat Events Board fee both passed at the ASUA general elections results.

The Arizona Student Media fee passed with 2,096 to 689 votes. The WEB fee passed with 2,081 to 665 votes. Both fees still need the approval of the Arizona Board of Regents.

Student-run media gained the support it needed to become a “21st-century student media operation,” said Mark Woodhams, director of Arizona Student Media.

The Arizona Student Media fee is a renewal and expansion of the $1 per-semester KAMP Student Radio fee, which was set to expire this year. With the regents’ approval, the refundable $3 per-semester fee will support the creation of student job opportunities and summer radio and TV programming.

“I am so thrilled and so proud of everyone who works in student media,” said Kristina Bui, editor-in-chief of the Arizona Daily Wildcat. “I think a lot was riding on this and I think the voter turnout demonstrates that student media is a really important part of the campus community.”

KAMP Student Radio General Manager Isaac Gealer said he was “so relieved” by the fee’s passage.

“It’s definitely one of my proudest moments in Arizona Student Media and definitely one of my proudest moments as a Wildcat,” Gealer said. “The work that everyone has put into getting signatures and campaigning for this is unbelievable. It definitely paid off.”

If approved by the regents, the $3 WEB activity fee would allow the board would to bring larger and more events to the UA, according to Brittany Vraney, executive director of the Wildcat Events Board.

The board brought Mac Miller to campus in the past and some members said with the fee money, it hopes to bring acts that are the equivalent or larger in the future. WEB sends out yearly surveys to the student body, according to Vraney, which helps the board to know what events students are interested in seeing.

With the fee’s passage, the board will be able to bring more of what the students want to campus, she added.

After the WEB fee passed, some students expressed their excitement over the success.

“We’ve been working so hard on this for so long and to think that this is coming true is amazing,” said Justin Evans, a political science junior and a WEB member.

WEB member Elena Gold, who was also elected a 2013-14 Associated Students of the University of Arizona senator, said she was excited about the WEB fee passing the student vote as well.

“I think that NAU and ASU both have this fee and it’s just going to do wonders for our student body,” Gold said. “I think just making sure we allocate our money correctly and we’re using it for the students [are our next steps].”

Student supporters also attended the election results. Pre-business freshman and member of Freshman Class Council Nicole Dahl said she supported both fees and was happy with the outcome.

“I think it’s great that they passed because it’s only going to improve the school,” Dahl said. “The fee is minimal; it’s not going to burden the students and it’s really going to be for their benefit.”

Current ASUA president Katy Murray said she was happy about news of the fees’ passage as well.

“I am a full supporter of what our student body supports and I am excited,” Murray said. “I think it’s great for WEB and student media that both fees overwhelmingly passed.”

Although the good news resonated among the supporters for these accomplishments, there is still more work to do.

“We’ve worked so hard so far, but we still need approval from the Arizona Board of Regents,” said Jackie Kent, UATV general manager. “So as great as the feeling this is right now, we still have one more hurdle to go over — but it’s great to know that we have the support of the student body.”