The new trend emerging in the light of general fee cuts: a myriad of separate, optional fees. In the latest news, Ohio University Campus Recreation is considering its own revenue-recouping fee.

Campus Rec has proposed two options to make up a $20,000 general fee loss. One option would require students to pay an optional $20 per quarter to take fitness classes and play intramural sports.  This option would raise about $450,000, according to the proposal. The second option would charge between $50 to $150 for students to play intramural sports, plus $40 per class for students who want to take fitness classes at Ping Student Recreation Center. The second proposal is expected to raise $120,000.

Campus Recreation only lost $20,000 in funding from the general fee. These proposals would recoup, plus bring in $430,000 more. It makes little sense unless you read further in the proposal. The members of Campus Recreation are not satisfied with making up the shortfall. No, this fee would also pay for artificial turf for all Campus Rec fields — apparently grass isn’t good enough.

After Baker University Center opened in January 2007, a $60 fee was added to help pay for the building. The optional $40 Hudson Health Center fee, which was added in April, was a necessary measure to fix a major problem. But now, Student Senate has proposed an event fee of $15, and Campus Rec has rushed in to propose a fee as well. If you add up at the extra fees proposed, OU students would pay $35 to $165 to use things on campus that used to be free — or at least used to be covered by one steady fee instead of these smaller nickel-and-dime fees. Couple that with the for-sure fee from Baker and Hudson, and the student body could end up paying up to $265 in extra fees.

What’s next? A Dining Services fee, $10 simply to enter West 82? Or $60 per quarter for access to the library? Now that the barn door is open, there seems to be a rush to get a piece of the student pocketbooks. This needs to stop. Otherwise, we’ll all be paying to take classes — oh. Right.

— Editorials represent the majority opinion of the executive editors.