With a record turnout, UW-Madison students voted against raising student-segregated fees to fund the proposed renovations for the Natatorium.
The referendum failed 8,616 to 5,311, with a record 34.5 percent of the student body turning out to vote, according to an Associated Students of Madison press release.
The proposal, which included renovations to the Natatorium's weight and cardio rooms, as well as adding new basketball courts, a turf field and a running track, would have been funded partly by an increase in student segregated fees by about $54 a semester.
Peter Rickman, co-president of the Teaching Assistants' Association and member of No New Seg Fees—the organization pushing for students to vote down the Natatoriums referendum—said he was thrilled with the results.
He said he feels the voter turnout shows that students care about the rising cost of education.
""Tonight's results demonstrated what we've been saying all along, and that's that students don't want new segregated fees,"" he said. ""We can't afford new segregated fees at a time when our university needs to be prioritizing its core education and academic mission.""
Mike Bernatz, president of NatUp, the group that pushed for the Natatorium renovations to pass, said he believes students made the wrong decision in this referendum.
""In the next few years as these facilities continue to go unaddressed and continue to get worse, people will realize that at some point someone's going to have to step up and make an investment for the future,"" he said.
Although members of NatUp said they were disappointed with the results, Jen Werwie, a first-year graduate student and NatUp member, said she is proud of the group's overall campaign efforts.
Rickman said the referendum also demonstrated how powerful students can be when they organize for a cause.
""[Students] can have a major impact on things that affect us and this election really ratified that idea that not only do we need to stand up against new segregated fees but that we can also stand up and fight for things in education,"" he said.
Bernatz said NatUp currently does not have any plans to bring this issue to referendum again.
