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Show Letters To The Editor Fill Academic Needs First Dear Editor: The "Chronicle," in its issue of Feb. 26 published an imposing impos-ing front-page article, complete with btId headline and architect's archi-tect's drawing, concerning a proposed $6 million athletic facility. This letter is a protest pro-test against the proposed construction con-struction of such a facility. THE ARTICLE pointed out Mr. Price's statement that "Aside from athletic uses, . . . Commencement exercises, Challenge Chal-lenge Week functions, assemblies, assemb-lies, Homecoming events, Model Mod-el United Nations, lectures, concerts, and musical events could be staged in the new facility." I'm sure that Mr. Price's intentions are genuine in this mulit-purpose aspect of the projected facility, but I'm equally sure that no one is in doubt as to the prime, real and avowed purpose of the building: it is to be an athletic athlet-ic center, designed for athletics and used primarily for athletics. athlet-ics. No one today is against athletics. With the sedentary way of life that is becoming more and more common to more and more people, it is increasingly in-creasingly important for each individual to maintain himself in good health through frequent and athletic activity. "A sound mind is a sound body" (Juvenal: (Juven-al: Satire X) is just as valuable a dictum today as it was in the ancient world. Universities, at their inception, incept-ion, were institutions founded for the purpose of teaching the arts, and sciences and the humanities, hu-manities, and of creating an atmosphere of intellectual creation cre-ation and research. The question quest-ion of sports and of competitive compet-itive athletics did not originally even enter into the sphere of university life and ideals. I'm not suggesting by this that the University revert to the medieval med-ieval "trivium" or "quadriv-ium"; "quadriv-ium"; sports are definitely here, and it seems that they are here paziue8jo 'jaASAvoH 'toys o competitive athletics are not the primary concern of a university, univers-ity, nor should they be permitted permit-ted to encroach upon the principal princ-ipal aims of a scholastic institution. insti-tution. How many new and badly-needed badly-needed classrooms would $6 million provide? How many research re-search facilities and grants for advanced study could be imple mented with such a sum? many professorial CC How be established ana COuli Howmanyofourexce' fessors could be given salary, and how man? professors of national L?' could be brought here monies were spent w'h!r 7 academic needs of the it e ity are so clear V n5 Vers' How much soon J Jf have a sufficient Hb the many needed newtf, these $6 million were S serve the objectives of the ! ious student? What I meaning and the measure 0 ! university fts dedica 01 scholarship, or its modem ,t? letic facilities? ath' IT WOULD be ideal to con,, mand an unlimited budget, and to be able to provide academic facilities and athletic instalta tions whenever we want them Such is not the case at present nor it it likely to be the case within the forseeable future We must, then, make a choice When all the strident needs of the University are satisfied when we can honestly say that all our academic facilities and departments are adequate and functioning smoothly and when we are faced with the problem of the disposition of excess funds, then let us consider the construction of palladiums and pleasure domes! WHY IS it that first things are so rarely put first? Ronald S. Ingalls |