The_Rambler_1977-09-23

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S.U.N.Y. Cutbacks Result In
Student Health Fee
Bookstore Lines Disappear By Third Wecic of School
by Jonathan Hodges
(SASU News Scrvice) In what
has been termed a "surprise"
move by the New York State
Legislature's fiscal committees
last spring, a student health fee
was ordered imposed starting
this semester to offset a $2.3
million cutback in the SUNY
budget.
The fee, which costs the full-time
student between 12 and 20
Students Play Waiting Game
on Bookstore Lines
by Wayne M. Barrett
If you happened to notice,
the lines at the campus
bookstore were longer this year
than last. There were two
definite reasons for the lengthy
lines that stretched from the
Bookstore to seemingly all the
way across campus.
First off, people with
account cards were not being
let right in the door as they were
last year. Actually, they only
used to be let in if at the
moment they approached the
door, the lines at the account
card cash registers were light.
However, students began to get
the impression that the cards
gave them special entry
privileges. To stop further
confusion, Mr. Mckenzie, the
Bookstore manager, cut the
practice out completely.
Another reason for the
longer lines was the fact that
less people were allowed into
the Bookstore at one time than
in the past. This way there
would be more room to move
about in, and less pushing and
shoving. The lines at the cash
registers would also be shorter
so the student could get out of
the Bookstore quicker.
As Mr. Mckenzie pointed
out, the lines may have been
longer but the waiting time was
the same. Under this year's
policy, the student just waited
outside longer, but once he or
she got in, they got out quicker.
Once Again S.G.A. Sponsors
Successful Book Exchange
by Mark Munroe
If you found that your new
textbooks were overpriced, you
probably didn't try to buy your
books in the used book
exchange located in Roosevelt
Hall Room 151.
Sponsored by the Student
Government Association
NATIONAL STUDENT
ORGANIZATIONS TO
MERGE
(SASU News Service) The
National Student Lobby and
the US National Student
Association will be merging to
form one united national
student organization. Both
groups believe that one strong
national student organization
will be more effective than the
two which now exist. Proposals
have been drawn up and the
leaders, and Boards of each
organization will be meeting
frequently until a solid
recommendation is agreed
upon.
(S.G.A.), the Used Book
Exchange opened on Septem-ber
6th and closed September
21st.
The way the store operated
was that students brought them
their used books and S.G.A.
sold them for the students'
listed prices. A service charge
of 10% was kept by S.G.A. Any
used books which were not sold
by the closing date of the
exchange were returned on
September 21-23. Any students
who fail to pick up their books
by these dates will not receive
them.
Secretary of the S.G.A.,
Kathy Farrell, says that the
Book Exchange was a success.
She added that by the posted
signs and word of mouth, many
people knew and came to the
exchange to buy their books.
With the profit that the
S.G.A. makes on the books,
most of the money goes to the
employees that the S.G.A. hires
during the Book Exchange and
also subsidizes for setting up
and running the next Book
Exchange.
According to Kathy Farrell,
the Bookstore on Campus
doesn't like the S.G.A. Book
Exchange because the F.S.A.
Bookstore says they have to
raise the prices of their books to
students due to the Book
Exchange. But Ms. Farrell says
that this isn't true at all.
Roland Franklin, a Graphic
Arts student who sold some of
his books through the Used
Book Exchange says that he
found the Exchange very
beneficial financially and also
felt that they treat you like a
human being. He also found
that he earned more money by
selling his books to the Book
Exchange than to the F.S.A.
Bookstore.
Irene Pedersen, a Liberal
Arts student who bought some
of her books at the Book
Exchange, said that it was a
good idea because she found
that her textbooks were priced
reasonably and she wishes that
this idea continues in the spring
semester.
dollars a year, does not
specifically go towards health
services. It is placed into the
SUNY general fund, along with
the university fee and tuition,
making the fee basically a
tuition increase.
We did express opposition to
the imposition of a health fee,"
said SUNY Vice Chancellor for
Education Services James
Smoot. **Our main concern was
that this additional fee is not
covered by available financial
aid (including TAP) and
would, therefore, be a heavy
burden for the poorer
students."
Not only have there been no
improvement in campus health
services, but 10% of the total
campus health services staff (30
positions) have been cut in the
last two years.
SASU, The Student
Association of the State
University, lobbied against
introduction of the fee this
year. SASU plans to organize
students against the fee and,
thereby, try to eliminate it.
According to Smoot, the
health fee signifies a major
departure from present SUNY
Board of Trustees policy.
"Several years ago the
Trustees, in raising tuition,
took a stand against extra
fees," said Smoot. "They've
given ground on the matter of
student activity fees, but I think
they are still basically
committed to a tuition, rather
than a fee-orientated fiscal
structure."
According to a Legislative
Finance Committee report,
which has not been widely
circulated, the basis for the
Legislature's decision to
impose a health fee was a state
comparison of other public
universities, which found that
**most other states utilize a
combination of mandatory
basic health fees and fees for
specialized services."
"In examining the subject of
health fees," said Smoot, "the
fiscal committees looked
strictly at what the other states
charge as a health fee, they did
not look at tuition. So while
many states might have a
health fee, very few states have
as high a tuition as SUNY."
Smoot added that he felt the
East was pricing its public
education higher than they
should and warned that
students should inquire very
heavily into the cost of a SUNY
higher education.
A newly formed SUNY
Health Services Task Force
will begin examining the health
fee which was generated,
according to Smoot, with
surprisingly few comments.
Asked whether he thought
the Trustees would continue
fighting the heahh fee, Smoot
replied, "I don't really know
what the Trustees might do. I
know that the University has
attempted to put the university
fee under TAP with little
success so far. They might try
to do the same with the health
fee."
Lightning Causes
Campus Confusion
by Debby Beitch 12:35. This decision was n
On Tuesday, September
20th. at 7:50 a.m., a
tremendous bolt of lightning
hit a transformer somewhere in
the area of Melville Road and
Route 110 causing the lights to
go out across campus.
All around Farmingdale 8:00
classes were being cancelled
and Administrators were
getting in touch with the Long
Island Lighting Company
(LILCO) to find out when the
electricity would be restored.
At approximately 9:45 a.m.
Security sUrted announcing to
the campus community that all
claties would be cancelled until
made
after LILCO informed school
officials that the lights would
return in a few hours. Had
LILCO been wrong, classes
would have been cancelled for
the remainder of the day.
At 10:10 a.m. the power was
restored and the once gray
campus resumed its activity.
When asked whether
students actually returned for
a f t e r n o o n c l a s s e s . Dr.
Schwerin, Dean of Instruction,
stated that because of the many
labs on Tuesdays most of the
students were expected to
attend class, but there was no
way of telling until attendance
records could be checked.