In last week’s Sound Off, we asked students whether the Associated Students of Northern Michigan University (ASNMU) should spend $3,000 in order to send students to a rally in Lansing. The responses that we received were varied, with some supporting the decision and others opposing it. The one thing that all the responses did indicate, though, was that students did not know where ASNMU funding comes from.

Although ASNMU’s expenses for the trip ended up being covered by donations,  we feel it’s important that students know who is funding ASNMU, especially in light of the elections occurring next Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6.

Students should know that when ASNMU wants to spend money, the money they are spending comes to them through the Student Activity Fee (SAF).  Each semester, every student taking six or more credits pays money into the SAF. For the current academic year, this means $32.02 per semester.

The SAF helps fund not only ASNMU, but The North Wind, WUPX Radio and The Student Discretionary Activity Fund (SDAF) as well. SDAF is the budget used by the Student Finance Committee (SFC) to fund events on campus. Student groups go before SFC to present their budget for their event and are either approved or denied accordingly. Many events on campus are paid for in this way.

Students who are not aware that they are paying for ASNMU to conduct business as usual need to realize that it’s their voice that ASNMU is supposed to represent. This goes for the other groups funded as well.

Students should be aware of where their money goes and care how that money is being used.