To the Editor:
Simon Liebling's '12 polemic against the nefarious motivations of Brown higher-ups moving toward corporatization ("Why we bother," Nov. 30) ignores one key fact about the University's fiscal policy: It has to stay afloat. It's nonsense to advocate that Brown provide better conditions and benefits for workers, improve sorely decrepit buildings on campus, give many worthwhile students substantial financial aid and willfully spurn large sources of funds because they're biased towards preprofessional subjects which attract wide swaths of students. In times of prosperity, when university endowments swell and successful alums are more than willing to give back, this might be borderline doable; in current conditions, it's insane. Something (and someone) has to give.
There are numerous solutions to this problem. My personal choice, for example, would be to accept fewer students to alleviate the housing crisis and continue to invest in the sciences — which are more lucrative, likely more expensive to run and attract more students — to ultimately allow the humanities to continue to thrive, at the blatant expense of engineering and its brethren if necessary. Others may have different priorities. Complaining about everything and being willing to compromise on nothing, even practical measures that aren't particularly odious to begin with, is obnoxious and unproductive. Brown students are known for their activism. We need to be sure to keep common sense in mind as well.
Guy Tabachnick '13
Nov. 30
