Friday, January 16, 2004

General Student Group Complains about new Law Dorm. Please do us a favor and don't scare away the funders.
Dean Kathleen Sullivan here constantly gets no love from the peanut gallery. I've had the woman for conlaw class - she has the rare gift of expressing complexing thoughts in simple yet clear ways. She also has raised more money for the law school then anyone previously, tried to make the law school ever-so slightly more balanced in its political persuasion, and now has funding lined up for a new dormitory - which if you have ever been to Crothers and are not a member of its cult, is obviously needed

Some students are now trying (without success I hope) to prevent her latest project, the new law school dorm, from happening. While there are potentially legitimate concerns (i personally think the overall university does not pay enough attention to parking in the new studios) the cost concerns that they have, such as making buildings more energy efficient in the long run, miss a crucial point - probably (ok I am not sure) the amount that we would save on energy costs through the life of the dorm is nowhere near how much we are receiving from the Mungers to build the thing. Yes, we would want to make the dorm energy efficient - especially if it was our own money. But if the guy giving the money is adamant about the way the thing is to be, and it is truly just an issue of long-term costs which always get discounted in present value terms, just shutup and don't get in the Dean's way. Unless of course you have a better idea on how to get a $100 million donation in the next few years.

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