In a lively Student Government Association meeting that involved a student outburst, the student government on Tuesday voted to increase the Student Service Fee and support three other fees proposed by SHSU President James Gaertner.All the fees combined, if approved by the Texas State University System’s Board of Regents, will increase a student’s tuition and fees at SHSU by $251, which the university administration plans to start charging in the fall semester. In the early moments of the meeting, SGA president Stephen Sargent described what SGA had done in order to determine how SHSU students feel about the proposed fees.”We wanted to get a student reaction as far as the fees,” said Sargent. “We went to the street–there is mixed reaction; there were about 56 students who signed not to support fee increases in about 10 minutes.”Many students didn’t want to increase a student service fee if funds were going to be directed towards athletics, he said.”However,” said Sargent, “many students did feel the need for an increase in the fee.”When Gaertner proposed the fee last week, he said it would be raised from $150 to $171.When SGA announced the bill to increase the fee, they gave a more detailed description of the increase.”Be it resolved,” announced Sen. Mike Kaatz to the senate. “The Student Government Association, on behalf of the student body, hereby authorizes Sam Houston State University to increase the Student Service Fee $1 per semester credit hour from the current $18 per semester to a maximum of $171 per long semester effective with the fall 2002 semester and to raise the Student Service Fee cap to $250 as per state authorization.” After some discussion on the topic, it came down to a vote and was passed by a majority of 15 to 4.Sargent said the Student Service Fee must be approved by the SGA in order for Gaernter to propose the increase to the Board of Regents. The remaining fees proposed by Gaernter do not need student approval but could influence the Board if they have student support. The vote of the other three fees, a Student Advisement Fee of $50; a new Course Fee that will charge from $5 to ultimately $100 per course; and an increase of the Designated Tuition Fee from $27 to $35, was brought up by Sen. Ben Bostick.”I would like to allow the senate to voice its opinion on those fees via a vote,” said Bostick.After a barrage of questions to SHSU administration officials, who also attended the meeting, the senate voted on each of the three fees individually.The Student Advisement Fee was voted in favor of by a narrow outcome of 7 to 6. The tie vote hanging in the balance, one senator abstained his vote, saying, “they’re going to pass it anyway.”The vote to support the new Course Fee was passed by a clear majority, as was the Designated Tuition Fee, passed by a 7 to 3 vote.The decrease in the senatorial vote counts was due to senators packing up their bags and leaving over the course of the meeting. “I’ve got another meeting to go to,” said one SGA member as he walked out the door.One student, not a member of SGA, burst out with displeasure at what she had seen at the meeting.”This is the first student government meeting I’ve been to,” said the student to the entire room. “I would like to express my complete unhappiness with some of the disrespect that (SGA) is expressingto me, it’s completely disrespectful to the student body.”The student was displeased with what Sargent had written on the chalkboard during the prolonged questioning and other occurrences she had witnessed at the meeting.Sargent and a fellow senator responded back to the student, stating SGA has been working on topics all year and is using methods that have been used for some time.”You’ve been here one meeting,” said the senator to the student. “You don’t know what the hell is going on.”President Gaertner takes the proposed fees, which are now student supported, to the Board of Regents on May 8 and 9.