Students Set Voting Record; Approve Multi-Use Center

In the largest voter turnout in ASI election history, California State University, Sacramento students approved a fee increase to fund the proposed Wellness/Recreation/Events Center. After a long, long night of waiting - the final vote tally came at nearly 5 a.m. - the campus community learned Thursday that the measure passed with 55.2 percent of the vote. Nearly 5,000 students went to the polls for the election which also selected student government officers for the 2004-05 academic year.

"It's a great day to be a Hornet at Sacramento State," said ASI President Peter Ucovich at a news conference announcing the vote. "It's an example of what we can do when we work together. Students, faculty and administrators all came together."

CSUS President Alexander Gonzalez said the affirmative vote was a sign the students are on board with the concept of making CSUS into a "flagship campus." "It's a big win for our students. It's a big project. And it's going to be a big deal for Sacramento State," Gonzalez said. "We have a clear mandate from the students. This was not a squeaker - students came out in numbers in support."

Plans call for the 236,000 square-foot facility to be built near Hornet Stadium. Preliminary designed call for it to include a new student health center, fitness center, rock-climbing wall, swimming pool, athletic courts, six-lane bowling center, fitness classrooms, concession space, childcare center, conference center and an 8,000-seat arena for events such as commencement and intercollegiate athletics.

Students will initially pay an extra $10 per semester for planning and design of the center, and $110 per semester once construction has begun. President Gonzalez has pledged the University will raise $25 million. Construction could begin as soon as 2007 and be completed by 2008.

President Gonzalez added that now that the students have done their part, it's time for the community to do theirs. "Our next step is to develop the plan for raising money for the non-student-funded portion of the recreation center. The community needs to make a commitment financially...to make the campus the best it can be.

"This is a very important key to our master plan. The vote is a clear signal we need to move this direction."

Plans for what will eventually go in the center will continue as well. The campus committee that brought the referendum forward will now begin the work of determining what the end result will be. To learn more about the process, visit www.csus.edu/union/rwec/.