TO THE EDITOR:
The Daily Tar Heel recently published an article regarding a plan to renovate or replace the Union.http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2016/08/feasibility-study-team-toured-school-unions-across-the-continent-to-find-inspiration JS
While it is an admirable goal to improve our campus both aesthetically and functionally, the language used in the article betrays a motivation to compete with other universities’ amenities.
I have no problem with renovating the building, so long as the renovations make meaningful improvements to parts of the union in actual need of repair.
What I find problematic is the possibility of demolishing a functional building in order to build a prettier one.
In the wake of budget cuts and tuition freezes, now is not the time to waste money on replacing the Student Union.
The amount of money it would cost to replace the Student Union would be better spent on scholarships, renovations to our more outdated buildings or improving our infrastructure to reduce our impact on the environment.
In addition to its economic wastefulness, the plan to replace the Student Union would place a needless burden on the environment by consuming more resources than necessary.
I applaud the administration for their environmental conservation efforts, but needlessly constructing a new building makes these initiatives feel token; such efforts do not absolve the University of responsibility for its other environmental impacts.
