Real benefit comes from updated classrooms
Franklin College athletics took a leap forward this past week, but it is also a leap that could be considered unnecessary.
During Tuesday’s State of the College address, Franklin College president Jay Moseley announced the school would be getting a lighted, artificial turf field to be used for the football and soccer teams, beginning in the 2010-11 school year.
This renovation will require widening the football field so it is suitable for soccer as well, which means the tennis courts would have to be moved.
A tract of land purchased by the school near the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars building located southeast of campus will be the future home of tennis courts, a softball field and a new track and field facility.
Moseley said a third of the funding – which has come entirely from donations – has been paid for, while the remaining two-thirds will be paid in loans until donors can be found.
Unfortunately, this is a waste of money. The school should be spending the money on more practical things.
While new athletic facilities will benefit the athletes at Franklin, they will not benefit all students on campus. The money being used on sports teams should be used on something all students will use.
For example, the money could be used to update computers across campus. Most computers run slowly and frustrate the user. Also, we need to help students to use new technology that is available.
Sports are not changing; technology is. We need to get students to learn about the technology they will be facing in their given careers. What students learn on the field ends with college; what they learn about technology will help them forever.
If we don’t teach students about technology, they become more likely to fall behind other students in the real world.
There is plenty more that could be done with this money. It seems like a constant complaint among students that there is nowhere to park on campus. The money could be used to build more parking spaces.
Also, an increase in students led to the college cramming people into houses and lounges across campus. Extra money should be used to build more places for students to live.
Of the possible ways the money could be spent, this is not the right way.
