Monday's staff editorial in The Eagle about the harms of expanding the 50-mile limit on AUTO vans misrepresents the efforts of the Debate Society and other student groups. The editorial claims that we're jeopardizing the entire AUTO program. The letter we wrote to the university never stated that AUTO was the solution. In fact, we explicitly say it might be too much of a liability to renegotiate the insurance policy. We recognize the utility of AUTO and do not want endanger the program.
The editorial ignores the crux of our argument - virtually every other school has managed to find a solution to this problem. Our neighbors at George Washington University can rent Zipcars at the age of 18, but here at AU we need to be 21. The editorial also claims that such changes will result in higher tuition. First, tuition increases 5 percent annually anyway. Second, schools that have lower tuition are still able to service the transportation needs of their student groups. This is not an issue of funding; it is an issue of how the university allocates its resources.
The editorial then criticizes the benefits of participating in inter-collegiate events. This is a ridiculous criticism. The Eagle would have us think that we ought to do away with our sports teams. Getting involved in off-campus events is a great way to improve AU's reputation. When the Debate Society qualifies four people to the national tournament it looks really good for our university. When On a Sensual Note goes on tour and sings in cities throughout the Northeast it represents AU in an extremely valuable way. We should not underestimate these benefits.
Finally, the editorial contends that only a "minority of the student body" would benefit from a change in policy. Let's have the numbers speak for themselves. There are more than 200 clubs on campus and none of them can attend events beyond 50 miles. Imagine if the College Democrats and College Republicans could participate in political campaigns in Ohio or other battleground states without having to charter a bus. Imagine if our clubs could network with associations in New York City, Philadelphia and Boston. Our student groups are involved in a variety of activities and it is erroneous to contend that only a "minority" of students are interested in activities outside of Virginia, Maryland and D.C. It is much more reasonable to contend that our student body is deeply interested in activities throughout the country. I strongly encourage all students at AU to back our efforts to change this policy because it will increase the opportunities that are available to all of us.
To view the letter written to university officials please download it at: www.audebate.org/documents/transportation_letter.pdf.
Spencer Siegel Junior, School of Public Affairs President, AU Debate Society
