On March 4 to 6, U of T will hold a plebiscite asking students if they want to continue paying to maintain the Varsity Centre. The facility was constructed in 2006 using university money and outside donations, but last year a temporary fee of $9 per term was added to each full-time student’s athletic fees. If students vote Yes this week, the $9, plus an additional $2.29 to account for in ation, will be made a permanent part of the athletics fees, bringing student athletic fees to $125.81 per term.

Bruce Kidd, dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Health, explained that the new stadium and bubble have proved very popular among students. According to Kidd, use of the Varsity field has increased 15-fold since the construction of the new facility. In addition to maintaining the facility, the $9 will help ensure that the facility will be scheduled for student use 75 per cent of the time. The rest of the Varsity Centre, including renovations to Varsity Arena and a new Centre for High-Performance Sport, will be built using university money and outside donations.

The proposed fee change has, however, met considerable disapproval among student activists opposed to rising non-tuition fees. The Council on Student Services rejected the plan last year, but temporarily adopted it pending this student vote. Athletics fees have risen sharply in the past several years, and many students insist that the existing fees should be enough to fund the Varsity Centre.

If students vote No, the $9 fee may still be implemented on a temporary, three-year basis. Other proposed options for funding the facility include charging students with user fees and renting the facility to outside groups.

Kidd points out that similar facilities at other Ontario universi ties were built using student levies, not outside funding. At U of T, student leaders had input at every stage of planning, and were aware that a fee increase would be needed to maintain the facility. Although the university built the stadium without student money,

Kidd says that it is “only fair that students pay their fair share of the operating costs of the new facilities.” He also added that if students vote not to pay the fee, the decision will likely discourage the university from raising outside money for future projects.

Voting takes place Tuesday through Thursday at polling stations throughout campus. See www.utsu. ca for times and locations.