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Many Martingrove students do not participate in any Student
Administrative Council funded clubs and some students participate
in clubs that receive minimal SAC funding. These students
are receiving poor value for their $25 donation to the SAC.
Since MCI is a public school, user fees should be non-existent
or at least kept to a minimum. Thus, those who suggest that
SAC cards should be mandatory because the SAC pays for expenses
such as awards and assemblies are incorrect. Instead, a
separate, mandatory fee should be levied by the administration
on all students. SAC revenue should then go solely to fund
extra-curricular activities.
Even if administrative and extra-curricular expenses were
separated, most students would still receive poor value
for their card. Many clubs of twenty or more people receive
less than a few hundred dollars; this often works out to
less than ten dollars per person. Factor in the consideration
that one would need to join and actively participate in
three of these clubs in order to make a $25 SAC card worthwhile
and one would realise that it would be more sensible for
many students to pay individual registration fees for individual
clubs.
Lastly, the SAC has not, in recent years, ever disclosed
a formal budget - despite a pledge to do so; therefore,
those who purchase their SAC cards really have little knowledge
of how the money is spent. What is definite, however, is
that last year, some of it went to fund the fraudulent activities
of certain students - one of whom was later allowed to run
for SAC president.
School clubs and activities cost money; only the naïve
would refute that. However, until extra-curricular and administrative
expenses are separated and a working SAC budget is presented,
it is not in the interests of many MCI students to purchase
an SAC card.
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