I was going to post something lighthearted today about the research I’m doing for a novel, but after finding out about this, I had to post.

When people wonder why our country isn’t measuring up to others, just look to events like this as the answer. The University of North Texas spent $78 million to build the brand new Apogee Stadium.

Apogee Stadium was “designed by the same team that created the spectacular Dallas Cowboys Stadium….Apogee features two huge, state-of-the-art video boards, 21 luxury suites, 750 club seats, high-tech facilities for broadcast and print media, banquet rooms and an 1,800-square-foot team apparel store.” It seats 30,850.

All of this for a football team that no one outside of Texas has ever heard of…and yet, UNT just decided that it doesn’t need a library anymore. That’s right, UNT doesn’t need a library. It is forcing the library to slash 1.7 million a year from it’s budget to keep operating. Just in case your math fails you, Apogee Stadium money could have funded that shortfall for FORTY-FIVE years. But in Texas (and many places in the US), athletics is more important than academics.
I’m all for people being entertained or playing sports, but never at the cost of learning.
Save the UNT Library!