The loss of this institution would be a tragedy, all the more tragic because it is completely avoidable. The financial arguments made by the administration, and reported in the April issue, would seem to leave little alternative but to close the building. In fact, however, these issues are extremely complex and many sided, and knowing the details often casts them in a rather different light. In 1994, Holabird and Root, the building's original architects, came up with a renovation plan, in conjunction with student input.
Students here value space far more than a private bathroom.
Now, more than ever, this decision, and a very sound original plan, need to be reconsidered. In every way, this controversy has been plagued by incomplete information. Take, for example, the issue of fund-raising. The University did not, to say the least, make International House a priority in its own fund-raising efforts. We understand that the President made overtures to only three donors.