At an emergency student government meeting three weeks ago, members voted to raise the senator tuition compensation from $25 to $75 per semester, a 200 percent increase.

The association president’s tuition compensation is to be raised from $600 to $1,000, a 233 percent increase.

Whether any of the student representatives objected to the increase was not clear. No one mentioned any opposition.

If it wasn’t for an Advocate article written on the subject, meeting details likely would still be unknown to many students.

Considering that the student government should represent students, these details should not have to be sought out by students.

In addition, it is a conflict of interest for senators to vote on a raise for themselves.

We are still unsure what the emergency was that required a meeting and discussion outside of a regular student government meeting.

Perhaps, if it was held as a regular meeting at the regular time, there might have been some opposition toward the raise that scoops into the activity fee fund paid by all students.

Although we recognize and appreciate the work association members put toward bettering the campus, other campus organizations work equally as hard. Perhaps these organizations’ members deserve a tuition pay raise, as well, or even any tuition compensation.

We are not aware of any other student organization that receives any tuition compensation except for the organization empowered with distributing the money generated by the activity fee.

This could be enough to cause a loss of faith in the system and the people in it.

Shouldn’t government representatives, to keep the faith in balance, put the issue of their raises to a student vote or referendum?