New Mohawk College Campus: Recreation, Health and Wellness Centre

[SteelTown]

Mohawk students: play it forward?

November 19, 2008
Wade Hemsworth
The Hamilton Spectator

Mohawk College students are in the middle of making a big decision: should they dig into their own pockets for a new athletic centre that won't open until after most of them graduate?

Starting next September, students would have to pay an ancillary fee of $75 per semester toward the recreation, health and wellness centre that would replace a crowded gym that dates back to the 1970s.

The Mohawk Students' Association is putting the question to its 10,000 members in three days of online voting, ending tomorrow. The association is funding both the Yes and No sides of the campaign in the interest of having a full debate.

Student association president Alan Griffiths said the referendum rules prevent organizers of the campaigns from commenting on the centre's merits during voting.

The $15- million to $18-million facility at Fennell campus would open in September 2011 and include a fitness and weight room, therapy facilities, aerobics and spinning spaces, an indoor track and rock-climbing wall.

The project would be a joint venture between the Mohawk Students' Association, the Students' Athletics Committee and the college, with students paying to build it and the college paying to operate it.

Students now in two- and three-year programs would graduate before the facility opens, though they would get a year of free access for every year of contributions they made. The charge would be built into student fees for at least 15 years.

A No vote would freeze the project for at least 11 months until another referendum could be held.

Supporters believe Mohawk needs the facility to promote healthy living in the college community, and to keep up with other colleges. Similar student votes have given the green light to similar plans at other Ontario colleges, including Durham, Georgian, St. Clair and Niagara.

Opponents say students should not be on the hook for a new gym, especially when core learning facilities are in greater need of updating, and when the college has not raised private money to defer the cost, as McMaster University did when it built the David Braley Athletic Centre and Ron Joyce Stadium.

First-year music student Dan Weiss, 23, said he has no issue "paying it forward" to make improvements for future students, but felt that too many of his fellow students didn't realize they had a choice. He believes the college and its student government should put other priorities ahead of new rec facilities.

"I paid these guys my money for them to teach me, not to provide a nice recreation centre so I can go blow off some steam after class," he said. "If I really wanted all these extra facilities and I wasn't feeling satisfied by the facilities that the college already offers, then I could opt to pay somewhere else and feel better about the fact I'm not sticking 10,000 students with the bill."

[go_leafs_go02]

The voting system messed up..and we have to revote against next week.

I'm guessing it was hackable.

[SteelTown]

Oh I should try voting. I still have my moco motion account.

HA! I can vote, but will have to wait next week. I graduated this year.

[SteelTown]

Students nix Mohawk fitness centre

December 10, 2008
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/479666

There will be no new fitness centre at Mohawk College -- at least not now.

Students have voted against committing $75 each per semester over the course of at least 15 years.

The money would have built a recreation, health and wellness centre on the main campus worth $15 million to $18 million. It would have replaced an existing facility that dates back to the 1970s.

Three days of manual voting in the referendum wrapped up Monday, with 59 per cent voting against the fee and 41 per cent in favour. Only 9 per cent of eligible students voted.

An attempt at an online vote last month had to be suspended after organizers learned of a glitch in the system that would have permitted each student to vote multiple times.

The Mohawk Students Association, which had supported the Yes side in the campaign, cannot repeat the referendum for one year.