Dear Editor,

Creighton’s Campus Recreation Department implemented a new payment policy at the beginning of the fall semester.  Despite some students concerns and protests, Campus Recreation has maintained the new policy.

The changes substantially increased the cost to participating students.  For example, prior to the change, a participating soccer team was required to pay a total of $80.  Today Campus Recreation assesses a $25 charge to each individual student.  The $25 fee is assessed without consideration of the number of sports the student participates in.

When asked, an individual working for Campus Recreation stated that the purpose behind the policy was to incentivize students to play more intramural sports.  However, this stated purpose is not in the best interests of the students.  If Campus Recreation’s goal is more student participation, then it should decrease costs, not increase them.  Instead, the policy seems to be based on a concept which could aptly be called financial entrapment.  Their hope is that students will feel committed to the high $25 price and as a result will sign up for more sports to make the most out of their investment.

Campus Recreation has neither the right nor the justification to attempt to control student’s behavior through financial devices.  They certainly are justified in advertising IM sports and activities, but this policy has crossed a line.  Students should be able to choose how many sports they play without undue financial pressure to play more than they have time for.  Campus Recreation fails to realize we are here to be students first, not athletes.  Those who have time for only one sport are being penalized for having other priorities and commitments.  Under the old system, a student who chose to play one sport might have to pay $5 for participation in a sport.  However, under the new system, that same student will have to pay $25.  For the 99 percent of us not wanting to play five sports, this new policy simply serves as a reason not to play IM sports at all.

Campus Recreation has further attempted to justify the change by citing problems team captains had with collecting money from teammates.  This excuse is weak.  First, Campus Recreation has inflated the problem.  Most IM teams are groups of friends and collection is hardly burdensome.  Second, the purported solution to the problem has created more hardship on students than existed beforehand.

Historically, IM sports have been a service provided purely for the enjoyment of the students.  This new policy is inflexible and injurious for students.

A creative solution has the potential to serve the needs of both Campus Recreation and students.  One possible solution is to give students the option of paying per sport or choosing the $25 pass option allowing them to participate in as many sports as they choose.  The authors of this article encourage you to express your opinion on this issue with the Creighton Students Union.  The president, John McCoy, can be reached at [email protected].

Regards,

Grant Engrav & Kara Stockdale