Start rant here: I live in Mass and just saw a news piece about how Harvard University just received a 125 MILLION dollar gift from its alumni... Apparently it is ear-marked for a new Bio-Engineering education complex. Over a month ago Harvard was crying 'poor-mouth' and stating next years tuition will be increased at least 5%...

Sorry, I really don't want to offend the Harvard Alum out there...
BUT are you kidding me ?????
I just don't get it... Jack and Jill Paycheck are afraid they won't be able to heat their homes this winter... Seniors are forced to chose medications or food... Families are losing a lot of investments meant their childrens college education and the state of our economy is on every front page and headline in the world right now... Am I missing something here or should Harvard Alum be ashamed of themselves ???
End of rant........

It's so horrible... it's all about who you know and how much money you have. And people without a lot of money, if they manage to get scholarships, end up social outcasts because they have to work in the cafeteria, serving rich kids.

Twisted.

Ew, I know. Especially in recent times. The worst part is, that complex is no doubt going to be limited to professional/graduate research. The actual undergraduate students see very little of the benefits. I know it's tempting to want to fault the 'poor little rich kid' students, but they are probably not going to be reaping the perks in this situation.

I go to a private university that is very well-benefited by its alumni. Meanwhile, everyone who isn't in a graduate program gets treated like crap. And tuition is just ridiculous. Pretty much everyone I know is on financial aid, which (thanks to recent events) is going to be even harder to come by. Loans are also becoming nearly impossible to get.

I'm not going to ***** about Harvard alums, but I figure that if they are going to donate, they should at least donate to a worthwhile cause - like helping their undergraduates pay for an education.

Ok, so wait .. the money is a private gift to a private institution. Your tax dollars are not being spent here, right?

So why are you so upset? I don't understand.

What does a group of alumni (and I don't know how many people contributed to this donation) have to do with seniors not being able to afford meds or people unable to pay their bills.

That's like berating me for spending $500 on a new pair of boots because someone else can't pay their bills.

If we were talking tax dollars, I'd say sure, be outraged. But being angry at how private individuals choose to donate their private money? I think that's unreasonable.

And how do you know that those same people who donated to their alma-mater, don't also donate to other causes as well???

Sorry. I can't get behind this.

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Let's see pictures of these new boots.

Also, I totally agree. You beat me to the punch.

I agree so much with this response. What constitutes a worthwhile cause? Just because they footed that money to the school, doesn't mean they haven't helped elsewhere.

And even if they haven't, who are we to judge?

From my experience teaching while in grad school...a LOT of undergraduates don't belong in college. The level of irresponsibility is mind blowing.

Donating it to a new bio-engineering complex is going to pave the way for tons of ground breaking research....that to me makes way more sense than helping some kids out with their tuition who may or may not graduate or even care.

Also, the 5% tuition increase is pretty much across the board for universities.

Heheh ... I haven't bought them yet. But a new pair of boots for winter is my splurge item this year. I'm leaning towards these:

http://zeta.zappos.com/product/7416789/color/309


There's also a pair of shorter Cole Haans that I like for about $299, but I can't decide whether I want tall boots, or shorter ones.

(sorry ... ending my thread hijack now! )

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Cowboy up! I love them!

Cute! I love tall boots...especially the non-slutty kind.

ok...back to Harvard..

I'm with Photochick all the way on this one. I just donated money to my alma matter (I've done so every year since I graduated), is there something wrong with that? What I choose to do with my money is my buisness. I also agree with hat trick, that the construction will provide jobs, which is what's needed right now. As, the above posters have stated if this new building was funded with tax dollars, it would be entirely differnt. But since it's by private donation, it doesn't really affect any of us in any way shape or form.

I also don't know of a single university that hasn't raised tution nearly every year, mine certainly did!

PS PhotoChick the boots are awesome.

Seems the boots have gotten a standing ovation. I'm buyin' 'em!

I did want to comment on this:
My best friend's husband went to Harvard. He wasn't a "rich kid" - we all grew up pretty middle class. No fancy trust funds in our group. He got a partial scholarship and some loans. But at no time did he ever work in the cafeteria "serving rich kids" and as far as I know he never felt like an outcast. He's very proud of his Harvard degree and always talks with fondness about his days in college.

Another friend of mine went to Yale - and not only was she not middle class she grew up (in her own words) at the end of a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. She was the youngest of 8 kids. She *did* in fact work in the cafeteria at Yale and has nothing but good to say about the experience (not that it was fun necessarily, but that it got her out of her dorm room where she was tempted to hide in shame at being the "country hick". She also speaks very highly of her days at Yale and said that two of her best and oldest friends are ones she made in college.

Sounds like some people here might be suffering just a little bit of "sour grapes" about Harvard??

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I had a similar experiance happen close to me. A good friend of mine is well off, thanx to her paternal grandparents. Her grandmother gave a lot of money to a lot of things. Her maternal grandmother lived near by, but in a very small home and was on a very tight income. I always thought it strange that the one women didn't help the other. My mother told me that would be like my parents (if they had money) giving to my in-laws, who live about a half hour away. They have only met a few time, so why would she give them money. It made sense at the time. People give money to things they care about. More than likely people who have the money to give are not touched by people in need, unless they have been in need themselves. I know I do not have a lot to give, but I give when I can. I always give gifts to needy kids at christmas and I usually give $10 every time St. Jude sends something in the mail. I would probably never give to a college because I didn't go to college.

By the way, I live less than a 10th of a mile from the Cole Haan HQ in Maine, since it was brought up by PhotoChick.