10/14/2011: De gustibus non est disputandum. Or so the Nobel Prize winning economists say. But the rest of us might wonder why the UO development office didn’t try, or couldn’t succeed, at redirecting this generous couple’s tax deductible gift toward some purpose more important than a concert hall that will be used for a few Bach performances.
I’m sure you can guess my feelings on a current-student-funded EMU expansion, but the music and dance school really need a new place to perform. Dance exhibitions (or whatever) happen on the fourth floor of Gerlinger Annex, which is a glorified black box theater.
What would be a better use for the $10 million?
dog barks
build a modern classroom building with
2000 seats available in various classroom
configurations
I don’t understand this gripe at all. A new student union and performance hall to replace the ballroom? To me that’s a great use of donor funds and a valuable academic and community resource.
I do appreciate the concern of the “hidden” student expense of paying fees for a building that doesn’t even exist yet.
The $10 million might make seed money for such a project, just as it’s seed money for the EMU project.
You’d first have to convince them that they’d rather give the money for that. Perhaps a better fund-raising operation could do that, but maybe they tried, I haven’t the slightest way of knowing.
I know the Berwicks have been very generous to the Bach Festival, as I’ve noticed from the Festival catalog. I wondered who they are and I’m glad now to know. If they want to give their money for this, I’m glad they’re doing it.
UO Matters hates Bach? And Football too?
No one hates Bach, it’s impossible.