With the recent announcement by United Student Government (USG) and clarification email from administration regarding the purchase of Playhouse tickets, many of us have been left with a lot of questions and concerns. Though the tickets only cost a dollar, this small increase is part of a larger problem – excessive student expenses.

It’s a common stereotype – poor college students living on Raman noodles and Easy Mac. But with school costs rising, the reality of this situation is starting to hit more and more students.

When students live off campus, they have many expenses in addition to hundreds of dollars already spent on books and tuition. Rent, utilities, groceries and transportation add up fast when you are living off of loans. Holding a part-time job can certainly help alleviate the debt, but this adds on another factor – another responsibility to balance. Often, students may have to skip a class because they worked late the night before.

The reality of the insecurities students are dealing with is a growing problem – and it presses heavy on our generation.  A lot of students are required to attend Playhouse shows for classes. The tickets may only cost a dollar, but some students don’t have a dollar to spare. They are living paycheck to paycheck, balancing funds and pushing back due dates as late as they can.

We pay thousands of dollars each year for our education – a figure that continues to grow. We were promised this brand new multi-million dollar Playhouse wouldn’t come out of our pockets. And while the brick and mortar might not have, the productions will.

We believe this extra ticket expense shouldn’t be our responsibility. This expense shouldn’t belong to USG either, considering this money in the past has originated from its account, and is only being addressed now that USG is re-allocating funds into divergent accounts. This fee should be validated by the university, so our campus community can encourage, support and enjoy our fellow students’ talent and hard work.