Men In The High Tower

Re: “A Bridge to Nowhere” (8/1): “Recent architecture at the UO… conveys arrogance, power and disregard for the surrounding community,” and, may I add, also a blinders-on, head-in-the-sand, outdated attitude about where education is going to come from in the future.

The University of Oregon has shown, with its gaudy edifices and over-the-top (unaffordable to most Eugeneans) “transformation” of Hayward Field, that it is not an institution of higher learning first; rather, it is first a corporate arm of Nike and any other wealthy donors who want to get their names on a building.

Wouldn’t it be great if the wealthy people and corporations put their money toward fully funding every student’s college expenses through graduate school, rather than building monuments to themselves and owning college sports teams for their egos? (I bet they’d spend a lot less than what they are spending now.)

So, to every American university out there who is funded by our taxes but takes orders from their wealthy patrons, enjoy your empty buildings and stadiums when everyone is getting their education from a computer, and when field teams for high school athletes who deserve to get paid for their talents in their best years becomes the norm.

Annie Kayner