Dog-n-pony democracy

When students practice democracy, it's cute.\nLast Wednesday, the trustees met to finalize a tuition increase for the upcoming school year. In the process, they found the time ripe to approve a renewal of the $30 athletics fee. \nYes, you read that correctly.\nDespite the recommendation from the Committee for Fee Review -- student-run and -backed with support from Dean of Students Richard McKaig and IU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis -- the trustees decided they knew what was best for the University.\nTrustee Jeffrey Cohen explained to the Indiana Daily Student Thursday quite clearly how the decision came down.\n"I'm uncomfortable supporting the athletics fee against the students' wishes without a more formal plan from the administration that outlines exactly what our strategy is to increase revenues or reduce expenses. I want to see something done to create revenue. If part of it is going against the students' wishes, I'm all for it if that's going to do it," he said.\nIn other words: When students practice democracy, it's cute -- but we know better.\nSince the beginning of spring semester, we've been sitting front row for the dog-and-pony show of the year. It's name, the Committee for Fee Review. The political mastery behind it couldn't be more impressive.\nThe logic appears to work as follows: Tell the students that the Athletics Department cares about their input. Create the perception that serious debate and discussion could indeed shed light on solutions to the department's massive budgetary incompetence. Spend all the time during the semester knee-deep in discussion. Then, at the end of the semester, just as students are preparing to leave Bloomington for a handful of months, draw up the necessary paperwork and pass the mandatory fee, regardless of the students' wishes. \nWe wish we could say we were at all surprised. \nThe department is failing out of college, and it's asking us to do the homework for them.\nWell, we'll try and do just that. Enough complaining; the department has heard it. Perhaps it's time to praise it.\nThe massive public relations blitz coinciding with the hiring of new football coach Terry Hoeppner is already showing results. Ticket sales are above and beyond last year's numbers, showing signs that someone in the Athletics Department is actually doing their job.\nAssociate Athletics Director for External Operations Tim Fitzpatrick knows that the key to this early success lies in the hands of some very special people: the students.\n"That's our indication of letting students know just how much we want them to be there. It has nothing to do with fees or anything else," he told the IDS Thursday.\nNow wait a minute. \nWas it a coincidence that these two stories were published on the same day? Somebody's not getting a memo.\nWe can decry the University's actions by passing the fee, but just like the Committee for Fee Review, we know it's not listening. If those trying to fill Memorial Stadium aren't careful, the perception of this fee will keep students from buying into their new sell. \nFans buy tickets, they don't pay fees. If we don't trust them, it's going to take a lot more than a personalized letter to get us out of the tailgate and into the stands.