Cheer Up Charlies
Measuring the Profit of an Overweight Person
RECEIVED Wed., Feb. 10, 2010
To the Editor,
It’s a travesty that the University of Texas, with all its wealth, is ending the 30-plus year informal class program [“'A' Is for Axed: UT Chops Cactus, Cuts Classes,” News, Feb. 5; “Off the Record,” Music, Feb. 5]. A tax-supported university has a moral obligation to give back to the community that supports it, through educational outreach. They say it’s not a “profitable program.” Profit is not just black ink. How do you measure the profit of an overweight person learning the beauty of exercise through a dance class? How do you measure the profit of a parent learning to manage their finances, thus staving off foreclosure, through an informal class? How do you measure the profit of an immigrant assisting his or her own cultural assimilation through an English as a second language informal class? How can a board made up of primarily young students have the intrinsic wisdom to see beyond the ink? This is a short-sighted and shameful decision. Please e-mail your support for Informal Classes to: Board of Regents at [email protected]; Rep. Elliott Naishtat at [email protected]; Liam O'Rourke, student body president, at [email protected]; and University Unions Director Andy Smith at [email protected].
It’s a travesty that the University of Texas, with all its wealth, is ending the 30-plus year informal class program [“'A' Is for Axed: UT Chops Cactus, Cuts Classes,” News, Feb. 5; “Off the Record,” Music, Feb. 5]. A tax-supported university has a moral obligation to give back to the community that supports it, through educational outreach. They say it’s not a “profitable program.” Profit is not just black ink. How do you measure the profit of an overweight person learning the beauty of exercise through a dance class? How do you measure the profit of a parent learning to manage their finances, thus staving off foreclosure, through an informal class? How do you measure the profit of an immigrant assisting his or her own cultural assimilation through an English as a second language informal class? How can a board made up of primarily young students have the intrinsic wisdom to see beyond the ink? This is a short-sighted and shameful decision. Please e-mail your support for Informal Classes to: Board of Regents at [email protected]; Rep. Elliott Naishtat at [email protected]; Liam O'Rourke, student body president, at [email protected]; and University Unions Director Andy Smith at [email protected].
Florence Hite
