The lumbering AUTO van is a ubiquitous presence on the AU campus. Mention the vans to almost anyone and chances are you'll get some sort of story detailing the "cozy" interior and familiar musky aroma of the cushions. Used widely by many clubs on campus, these vehicles perform a vital service to students and clubs looking to get out of D.C. But some on-campus student groups believe they don't do enough.
The AU debate team has recently spearheaded a lobbying initiative to expand the allowable boundaries for the AUTO vans - a restriction that holds them within a 50-mile radius of AU. This limit effectively binds the vans to within the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area - a major limitation for those clubs that compete or perform long distances from AU. These clubs contend that the limit makes out-of-state competition prohibitively expensive. They argue these factors hurt their performance, which in turn negatively affects AU's reputation.
But while an expanded radius would be very nice, it is unreasonable to request the AUTO program to relax its restrictions or to expect the administration to independently offer other solutions. The 50-mile restriction is an issue of liability; to change anything would require AU to renegotiate its insurance contract. The additional costs associated with both the renegotiation itself and maintenance of this new policy would be borne by all AU students in the form of higher tuition. The changes would result in a minority of the student body receiving benefits that are paid for by a majority of students.
Moreover, these benefits would be excessive. Participation in clubs that compete or perform beyond the 50-mile limit is optional. There are many local and on-campus opportunities that do not confer the same expense. If these area opportunities do not exist, the grieving clubs should have no difficulty in securing additional funding from the AU Club Council when the AUCC budget is allocated next year.
Until then, the already generous AUTO van contracts should suffice. These clubs should remember that use of a university vehicle is a huge privilege - one that the university offers at its own risk. The AUTO van program is one of the most accessible and beneficial programs on-campus, students should be wary of supporting anything that could jeopardize its future.
