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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 9. 1st May 1974

Clubs can't afford Union Hall

Clubs can't afford Union Hall

Dear Sir,

An exorbitant fee of $50 fox the booking of the Union Hall in the weekends la an unnecessary burden for cultural clubs and associations. Because of this fee, clubs have been forced to charge higher cover charges for entry into their socials, dances and performances. The ever increasing payment of students' fees should be quite sufficient to cover the use of Union premises and compensate for any cleaning costs.

The Union Hall. Smoking Room and Lounge should be available to cultural clubs free of charge for use if their Intention is to promote the social welfare of students in a cultural and relaxed atmosphere. But because of high charges, fewer university students are attending functions and participating with people of different beliefs, culture or Ideology. This will soon have a serious affect on social relations among students of different cultures and beliefs.

It is worthwhile to note that this exorbitant fee of $50 often takes up more than 754 of a club's gross earnings and thereby making it difficult for clubs to meet other costs, organise more functions in the future. Since the club's efforts have been directed to pay this fee, their own members have been unable to enjoy fringe benefits to any great extent.

Futhermore, dances, social gatherings. stage performances, talks and meetings etc are now becoming a rarer feature in the University. However, when they do occur the management committee of clubs have been forced to commercialise their activities and charge unreasonable rates for their functions to pay off this fixed cost.

As a result, the clubs are now striving to better themselves financially rather than to promote and encourage closer student community feeling.

The other difficulty arising is that clubs have to pay for damages. This is qute understandable, but clubs should not be held responsible for damages done outside their ares of control. When a club books the Union Hall it should be held responsible for that area only and not the whole of the Union premises.

Making complaints to Lindsay Rea always ends up with an argument on her part that "had you not used the Union Hall, such damagea would not have occurred". True enough! But if clubs act on this principle there will hardly be any functions held or a place for students to meet. I hope that the Cultural Affairs Officer and any other elected student representatives would make an effort to restrain the Union from charging such an exorbitant fee.

C.P. Singh