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Editor:
Who are the marketing geniuses who came up with this one ("UA, TCI negotiate contract for cable in residence halls," Nov. 25)? The university is suffering from budget cutbacks and decreased enrollment, academic departments and service units are losing funding for staff and programs, and the UA is going to "give" cable television (at a cost of $832,000 that could be spent elsewhere) to dorm residents?
And after installing this "system," who is going to pay the monthly cable bill? James D. Van Arsdel was right when he told you that mistakes should be expected with the university's cable system. The first mistake was deciding to fund it in the first place.
As Van Arsdel told you, cable is a luxury. Basic educational necessities are not. Couldn't this money be better spent on academic programs, library services, hey, even a new Student Union? If those things aren't important, how about making university facilities accessible to the disabled, or bringing buildings up to fire code? I don't see how spending taxpayer money to bring MTV and Nick at Nite to campus housing fulfills the strategic objectives the university has identified as central to its mission.
I'm glad whoever made this decision is not responsible for my household budget, because then I'd expect to come home to find an entire closet full of Mallomars.
Carrie S. Russell
associate librarian, Main Library
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