Students have been collecting signatures on a petition supporting the proposed Recreation and Wellness Center since Oct. 12, but uninformed students are a constant concern on both sides of the issue.

The Student Fee Advisory Committee decided early this semester that a petition process would be the method used to consult California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed and SF State President Robert A. Corrigan on whether or not to go through with plans for the recreation center.

"It's hard to get people out to vote," said liberal studies junior and ASI Representative Vanessa Amaya, 21. "Some people are apathetic to it. They don't want to take the time to inform themselves."

Amaya said that they are trying to collect 6,000 signatures in total. She said that through this petition process, they have additional time to further explain the proposed recreation center by holding events, going around campus and speaking to individuals on the matter.

Petitioning will continue through Nov. 6.

Once the signatures are collected, the Student Fee Advisory Committee will have to verify the names and identification numbers on the petition and make sure it passes the criteria for being a campus-wide initiative.

If it passes, the petition will go to Corrigan, who will advise CSU Chancellor Reed, who has the final say on whether the recreation center will be constructed.

Amaya said that the various events that have been put on by ASI, such as the Oct. 29 drive-in movie, were used to create a platform to speak to students on the proposed recreation center.

"This is a bad time in general to ask students for money," said Mike Wong, faculty advisor for SF State's Club Taekwondo. "I'd like to have assurances that they've looked at all their options for funding."

Club Taekwondo Coach Master William Dewart is concerned over the uncertainty of guaranteeing alumni full access to the recreation center.

"If you're a student now, you will have to start paying for this facility immediately and you will have graduated by the time the facility will have come into existence," Dewart said. "I don't think it's enough to tell students today that they're thinking about giving them access to these new facilities."

ASI vice president of University affairs and chairman of the Student Center Governing Board Raul Amaya, a psychology senior, mentioned the Cesar Chavez Student Center, which was paid for by students who had graduated by the time it was built. He would like to see alumni have access to the recreation center if it is built but cannot guarantee anything.

"Nothing is set in stone," Raul Amaya, Vanessa Amaya's brother, said. "If you paid into the process you can get a certain membership. We would appreciate what they've done for SF State."

Raul Amaya said they can't go over details like alumni access until it has already been decided to follow through with building the recreation center. Ultimately, he said it would be up to future ASI members.

"We've made it very clear that alumni would benefit from it," said Raul Amaya, 25. "It would give more notoriety to the school and increase the value of the school."

Margo Sara Krindel, 21, an accounting senior, doesn't want to sign the petition because she will have graduated before the fees will go into effect.

"I'd be pledging somebody else's money if I signed it," Krindel said. "And I don't think that's fair."

Some students are conflicted over spending more money while the school is suffering from budget cuts and pushing back graduation dates due to the economy.

"Building a recreation center seems like the farthest thing from a logical decision concerning how to spend the school's money," said 21-year-old English sophomore Heather Watrous.

Raul Amaya discussed concerns some students have about SF State catering more to wealthy kids through the recreation center and raising student fees, but disagreed with this argument.

"I'm from the Bay Area and right now I'm renting a room that's in a living room and I sleep on a couch - that's my bed," said Raul Amaya.

"It's not just for rich kids, it's for the benefit of all students, rich or poor, who truly don't have the extra money to waste and go out. It's an investment because they'll have somewhere safe to go if they don't want to be at home or go spend money."