After reading “New arena plan regains momentum” (ODE, June 5, 2007) I can’t help but think that building such an extravagant non-academic facility makes it look like we have a surplus of cash and are sitting in a good position to fund our academic programs and facilities. We are not, and we should not be sending a message that conveys otherwise to the state legislature.
Tuition continues to increase and make college more expensive, excluding students who cannot afford the rising costs, and increasing the debt of those lucky enough to secure financing. This is an incredible amount of money to be spending on a new arena. I understand that a lot of the financing will be coming from private donations, but the spending of 180 million (and probably more as a result of increased material, fuel, and labor costs) hurts the University’s credibility when we ask for funding relief from the State.
We should spend our time and energy repairing and expanding the academic facilities and programs we do have so that current and prospective students see this as a University dedicated to education and the creation of knowledge. When we show the powerhouse research university that we used to be, it is more likely that we will receive the long time financial support from the state that we so desperately need. Only after we secure funding for our academic programs and facilities should we place such an extensive focus on the extra things like new arenas.
Paul Nolan
Graduate Student