Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.
Recently, it was requested of the Associated Students of Colorado State University Senate that the College of Business receive $20,000 for new study spaces in Rockwell. CSU has a massive stadium which contributes to Fort Collins’ light pollution and has classrooms only so it could be built on campus.
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The Clark Building remains in its place, untouched and falling apart.
We go to a school that has hungry and depressed students who live in a state with poor education funding. Yet some people are still asking for money where it doesn’t belong. The issue with wanting to expand is that there are far better problems to focus on in our existing backyard.
Clark has long been a desirable candidate for renovations, as is it unsafe and students find it one of the most unappealing campus buildings. On the contrary, the Canvas Stadium, finished in 2017, is unimportant on a large scale with there arguably being little student benefit from its construction. In fact, even with the new stadium built, an abandoned Hughes Stadium was recently sold to a home developer and will not be turning into the much needed space for students.
CSU also has a massive population of students in need of financial aid or suffering from food insecurity. These problems could be more easily addressed if funds went to them instead of unnecessary projects, like adding more study spaces in Rockwell. It’s high time we, as students, and the University focus on the problems that already need solving.
EDUCATION IS SUPPOSED TO ENABLE OUR NATION’S YOUTH TO FACE THE FUTURE WE RENDER UNCERTAIN, YET OUR COUNTRY CARES ABOUT IT SO LITTLE.
This contention applies to national issues as well. President Donald Trump has plans for a Space Force which, according to USA Today, would be “devoted to protecting the nation’s interests beyond Earth.” The United States and its current administration also continue to put emphasis on the country’s massive defense budget.
But what about issues a little closer to home, like solving the environmental crisis on the planet we’re already living on?
According to the U.S. budget reported by Kimberly Amadeo of The Balance, the country spent $532.2 billion on defense in 2017 while larger, more humanitarian issues were treated poorly per the budget. The Department of Energy only got $30.2 billion and The Department of Health received $87.1 billion. Despite having the second largest amount of funds after defense, health received roughly six times less.
The Department of Education only received $66.9 billion in comparison to defense, despite the fact that education is the soil in which society itself grows. Education is supposed to enable our nation’s youth to face the future we render uncertain, yet our country cares about it so little. It is for this reason, above all, that the University should take better care of its many struggling students.
As a university and as a nation, we are focusing our money on unnecessary projects that have no true humanitarian value. Instead of fixing things that don’t need fixing, we should be spending time trying to restore what needs restoring at home.
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Renee Ziel can be reached at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @reneezwrites.
