The Downing Student Union has plans in place to charge students for access to the pool tables and pingpong tables in the newly constructed recreation area.

I was notified of this via a sign posted in this area on the desk. There has been no formal explanation of why these charges are going to take effect or the rates students will now have to pay to access the pool and pingpong tables.

Similar access to these activities has long been available to residents of Pearce-Ford Tower at no cost. Students who live in other residence halls have never had such means of recreation available to them. 

Charging students for these services is a terrible idea. Free access to this entertainment venue could help alleviate one of WKU’s biggest problems — keeping students here on the weekends. 

For myself, the main motivations for going home on the weekends in the past were limited dining options and no entertainment options on campus. Extended hours and new restaurants on campus have attempted to solve the first problem, and the DSU recreational area was a step in the right direction for the latter. 

Western students are automatically charged an activities fee each semester. In my opinion, access to the new recreational area in DSU ought to be included in those fees we already pay. The majority of my friends, myself included, have vowed to stop using the DSU recreational area if charges take effect. This makes the space purposeless for those who were otherwise using its amenities. 

I urge others to take action and stop going to the DSU recreational area until the plans for charging students are rightfully dropped.