UW-Madison students have been actively demonstrating their support or opposition to a referendum that would increase student segregated fees to extensively expand the Natatorium with a $60 million renovation.
The proposal would add an indoor turf field, four-court basketball gymnasium with a running track around its perimeter and five to seven multi-purpose hardwood, mirrored rooms, among other amenities, according to Mike Bernatz, a UW-Madison senior leading the NatUp campaign in favor of the referendum.
The referendum would be funded primarily by student segregated fees, costing students roughly $54 per semester for 30 years beginning fall 2013, the biggest concern for many opposing the project.
""This referendum that we students are voting on is not about a new Natatorium; this referendum is about another hike in segregated fees, and we as students are saying that we cannot afford any more new seg fees right now,"" said Peter Rickman, leader of the No New Seg Fees campaign opposing the expansion and co-president of the Teaching Assistants' Association.
According to Bernatz, the project would be funded by other sources in addition to segregated fees.
""Athletics has committed half a million dollars for the pool renovations, we've requested $3.7 million from the state ... and Rec Sports is subsidizing the costs until 2013, which is going to be about a million dollars,"" he said.
Still, Rickman said the project should be funded more by the state's general-purpose revenue or by private donations and grants.
""We need to ensure that at this time, as much as any, of economic and fiscal crisis, that we're protecting access of higher education for students,"" he said.
Under a 2008 Associated Students of Madison bylaw, at least 15 percent of the student population, approximately 6,200 students, must vote for the project to move forward.
""If 15 percent doesn't vote, then students haven't voiced their opinions loud enough,"" ASM Chair Tyler Junger said.
The bylaw was created following the approval of the new south campus union in an election in which approximately 6 percent of students voted. However, Bernatz said regardless of turnout, if the referendum is approved, it will move forward to the Board of Regents and Chancellor Biddy Martin.
""ASM was really upset that such a low voter turnout was able to determine the results [on the south campus union],"" Bernatz said. ""So they didn't fully understand the bounds of their power and made a rule ... but they don't have the power to do that ... and that rule is strictly advisory.""
According to Junger, ASM does not have any binding power to allocate segregated fees to the project if less than 15 percent of students vote.
Students can vote online at asm.wisc.edu until 5 p.m. Wednesday.
