The Student Government Association introduced the idea of a referendum to raise student fees to add to the ULM athletics’ budget. The fee would be no more than $25 and would give athletics an estimated 220,000 more dollars a year.

The executive officers of the SGA think the idea is worthwhile because of unsafe weight rooms for football players and a baseball stadium in need of renovations.

“Yeah some of it would go to football and baseball. Our baseball team is Sun Belt champions. They have a lot of renovations and things that they need to do in their stadium. They deserve that,” said Amanda May, adviser to the SGA, to the room of senators.

Sen. Phillip Petit explained that students needed to see what the money would be used for if the referendum is expected to pass.

“Students are very selfish, and they want to see what they’re getting in return. For instance with the referendum that we passed about renewing the student fees, they knew it was keeping the student success center open. They saw how it was coming back to them,” Petit said.

A similar, yet more costly, referendum was tried in the spring of 2011. Student fees would have increased $120 per student and would have given athletics $1.8 million. It failed 53 percent to 47 percent.

The past referendum would have also given $20,000 to VAPA.

Vice President Jessica Richardson cited students being uninformed as the reason why the earlier referendum failed.

“They did two forums the last time we asked for money for athletics. That’s not enough,” Richardson said. “I don’t want them to just vote no. I want them to have a reason for voting no.”

SGA also passed a motion to give $2,000 to the International Student Organization for scholarships starting next year. This will add an extra $1,000 to the already existing ISO scholarship.

President Calvin Stafford said the funds would come from an existing program. The motion passed 11 to six.

Sen. Amit Rajkarnikar was one of only two members to speak on the motion.

“I think this is a great way to get SGA out there [in the international community],” Rajkarnikar said. “The scholarship is need and merit based so it will go to a student, who is deserving.

The fee would also give a small bit of the money to the department of visual and performing arts.

SGA meets every Tuesday in the student center and is open for all students to attend.