Ventura Students Derail CSUN Fee Plan

Students at the Ventura campus of Cal State Northridge derailed a plan to raise campuswide fees in their first-ever participation in student body voting, campus election officials said Thursday.

In balloting on Tuesday and Wednesday, Ventura students voted 118 to 14 against raising fees by a total of $40 over four years to help pay for the addition of two women’s sports teams mandated by the state in a gender equity agreement.

The measure failed by only 87 votes campuswide. Without Ventura votes, the measure would have passed by 17 votes.

“(Those of us) doing the tally were shocked at the overwhelming opposition in Ventura,” said Marc Blander, director of elections. “But it’s understandable since they will probably never see or use the facilities.”

Dan Wakelee, assistant director of the Ventura County campus, said students have complained in the past that they felt left out of main campus activities.

School administrators said they will try to place a similar proposal for a fee increase on the student ballot next fall.

Failure of the measure may force the school to cut its football team to add the women’s teams, officials said.

On the same ballot, both main campus students and Ventura County students rejected a move to change the school’s mascot name from the Matadors to the Quakes.

Altogether, 1,334 students voted to keep the name Matadors, while 392 voted to become the Quakes. Another 172 voted for neither name. In Ventura, 99 voted to keep the name unchanged and 28 voted for the new moniker. Four voted for other names.

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