Surprise - on Saturday, the OU Board of Trustees approved a $4 per-quarter increase in the recreation fee. The Board also passed a resolution to make the recreation fee part of the university's general fee beginning in the 1999-2000 fiscal year. This, among other things, hides the fee amidst other university fees.

Campus recreation might need more money. Sometimes, increases in fees or tuition are necessary. We understand this.

What we don't like is the untimeliness of the increase in the recreation fee because students might soon find themselves sharing the Ping Student Recreation Center with academic classes.

Pending approval of OU President Robert Glidden and Provost Sharon Brehm, classes will be moved into Ping because of the Grover Center renovation. Yes, that's correct - there might be classes in the student recreation center.

Originally, the recreation fee was instated to create a building where students would always have first priority. Thus the creation of Ping - a building built for students with student money.

One reason students had to pay for Ping is that it is not an academic building and can not be funded by the state in the same manner as Grover.

Students did not have to pay for Grover's renovations because there are classes held there and varsity sports practice there. In fact, students were bumped from Grover so classes or practices could take place. The focus of Grover center is academics first, athletics second, and student recreation a distant third.

Ping is the only building on campus where student recreation comes first.

So, let's say you are playing basketball at Ping with some of your friends. If the proposal passes, you could get bumped by a basketball class. Aren't you paying $69 out of your own pocket so you won't be bumped by a class?

We understand that because of the renovations at Grover, the classes held there must go somewhere. The College of Health and Human Services said they have exhausted all of their options, and the only logical place to hold the classes is at Ping. OK - we can understand and maybe even accept this.

But how long will this last? What happens when the renovations at Grover are completed? What if by that time, students are used to having classes at Ping and OU's principal executive officers accept this and don't move them back to Grover? We fear this might become a permanent thing and we find it unacceptable.

Did you know that Student Senate, the representative of OU's student body, was never consulted about the proposed use of Ping for classes?

Wait a minute ... isn't Ping a student recreation center?

Out of courtesy for those who paid for Ping, students should have rights to be there whenever they choose. Don't take this right away from us.