Student activity fees are only new here. Thirty years ago my college bill reflected an amount each quarter, and in exchange, I got to see some great Big Ten football and basketball games ... for “;free.”; Ohio State football came to town. Saw it, no charge. Isiah Thomas and Bobby Knight, no charge. Also got to see The Ramones and some other concerts—just show the student ID.

“;Free,”; because someone else covered it. Very few students pay their own way through college (at least while they're in school). Scholarships, loans, grants, military waivers, parents and other benefactors—some combination handles the bulk. Like many others, I worked during college, but most of the bills were paid through other means.

Despite this, most of us scrimp our way through and still come out in debt. It's the American way. Every quarter counts; I know I'm not the only one who searched under the sofa cushions for change to pitch in for a pizza.

It is also the American way for college students to rebel and fight attempts by the establishment to impose its will upon them.

So I see both sides of the argument. Yes, an activity fee to help chop down the University of Hawaii athletic department's deficit won't kill the students. But it's also their right—and nature—to oppose charges for something they've been getting free (hey, that sounds like pay-per-view) ... especially if a lot of them don't really want it.

There will be a student activities fee, it's easy to see that's a given. The students will protest it, but eventually the administration will win. This isn't the Vietnam War.

It brings us to the question: How much of the multi-million-dollar deficit should the students be expected to make up for when they haven't had to subsidize athletics at all in the past? And, since UH's reputation as a commuter school is well-documented, is it really fair to ask them to pay for something they're not that interested in?

My answer is that this is not all about sports, and nor should it be. Any proposal approved by the Board of Regents should reflect that. Athletic director Jim Donovan seems to understand this and is on the right track so far.

Charging students a fee and then saying they can go to sports events free is too simple and not fair. You can't force those who don't want to go to games, and they should also receive something for their fees. This can take the form of concerts, lectures and campus parties, plays and other cultural events.

And yes, upper campus must revise the way it counts its money, and credit the athletic department with revenue generated by sports-related apparel and souvenir sales. Maybe some of the MBAs and Ph.D.s can give us an equation explaining why at least some of lower campus parking isn't credited to ... unh ... lower campus?

Back to the students (and isn't a school about its students?). They deserve real value for activity fee dollars, regardless who is paying them. Issue them coupon books, with open-ended tickets to be used for a variety of events and services—some sports, some not. And include plenty of coupons for food—enough to cover the amount of the fees, with two-for-ones for roommates to share.

Let's see, UH's sponsors include Jack In The Box, Pepsi and Papa John's.

Then the loose change from the couch can go toward the delivery guy's tip. Who knows? He might be the starting quarterback.

Reach Star-Bulletin sports columnist Dave Reardon at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), his “;Quick Reads”; blog at starbulletin.com, and twitter.com/davereardon.