Special Fees = forced donations?

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While the Special Fee refunds period is still open (it closes Friday), let’s consider a few questions of political philosophy.

  • Is it immoral to refund from a student group you don’t benefit from? (Or only benefit from very indirectly, like Mock Trial?)
  • Is it immoral to refund from a student group you directly benefit from, if you think you could use the money better yourself?
  • If you gain a disproportionate amount of benefit from a student group (say you’re in Mock Trial and have had a thousand dollars of free airfare), is it immoral to not contribute an additional thousand dollars to Mock Trial?
  • If your family is very wealthy, is it moral for you to get your student activities funded by poorer students?
  • Is it more immoral to refund from a student group your friends are in, compared to a student group without anybody you know?
  • Is it moral to refund from SHPRC if you’re Catholic? From the Jewish Student Alliance if you oppose Israel? From all groups if you oppose Special Fees on principle? What philosophical objections make it OK to refund, and what don’t suffice? (If you detest the sound of wind instruments, can you refund from the Stanford Wind Ensemble?)
  • Does it absolve you of moral impurity if you refund from almost all student groups but donate the full refund amount to a charity you consider more deserving?