Carbondale Bytelife

The DE's editorial is pathetic. The DE should be fully supporting FIRE. The idea that boistrous demonstrations would disrupt classes seems to make sense on its face. But as a practical matter it is highly unlikely that such protests would really disrupt classes in any significant way.
 

I recently got my copy of the Southern Alumni magazine. It had a big article about a fancy celebration after last year's $106 million SIUC fundraiser. Students of yesteryear (many of them anyway) would certainly have staged a protest of some kind over this get together of elitists prancing around slapping themselves on the back. The article said some 375 "guests in tuxedos and evening gowns"came together to celebrate. "Food and drink flowed while the Marching Salukis performed and fireworks burst into the sky." The article added that "the evening began in the grand opera splendor of Shryock Auditorium with a wine and cheese reception..." These elitists getting together to pat each other on the back is pretty obnoxious in my opinion, especially because most of the money (as I understand it) is to go to athletics or athletics-related aspects of the campus. I believe very little of it will go to academics, the library or for much needed repair and renovation of academic buildings (as well as such things as possible power plant needs.) I also would like for someone in the media, or elsewhere, to investigate just where all this money came from. What is the exact accounting of the $106 million. How much came from individuals, how much from businesses, etc.? I am sure there are a lot of legitimate questions that have not been answered.