Spring Break
UConn should do all it can to save the Benton Museum
Taylor Trudon
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: Commentary
Nearly 100 million viewers across the country donned their respective jerseys and broke out the buffalo wings while tuning in to watch the face-off between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals at this year's Super Bowl. Three weeks later, only 36 million sat down on the couch with a bucket of popcorn to root for the best in the movie business at the Academy Awards.
Both events took place on Sunday nights. Both are special in that they only occur once a year. Both events were highly anticipated in that they pulled top-notch players from the athletic arena and the most talented from the Hollywood pool. Yet, despite the equally appealing factors of both affairs, one overwhelmingly captured the attention span of the majority of Americans, and the other flopped. Based upon the statistics, does this perhaps indicate that we would rather see the Steelers take home the Lombardi Trophy than watch Sean Penn give an acceptance speech for Best Actor? And if so, what does this say about our appreciation for the arts?
Then again, some people believe that film is not art and therefore, Penn's emotionally powerful and acclaimed performance in "Milk" isn't all that exceptional. It seems that, slowly but surely, respect for the art world is declining - with UConn being no exception.
On Feb. 23, UConn President Michael Hogan told the Hartford Courant that he is considering closing the Benton Museum and the Museum of Natural History, stating that they are "not at the center of the academic mission."
By closing these buildings, the result would be that the university would be saving $1.25 million.
During these times of economic struggle, it is inevitable that cuts will have to be made and programs will have to be compromised. Tuition will likely be increased for the next academic year although the specific amount is yet to be confirmed. While I'm not sure what changes will follow besides student tuition, I'm quite sure that one does not need to be the next Picasso or Pollock to acknowledge that the closing of the Benton would be a considerable loss to the value of UConn.
Both events took place on Sunday nights. Both are special in that they only occur once a year. Both events were highly anticipated in that they pulled top-notch players from the athletic arena and the most talented from the Hollywood pool. Yet, despite the equally appealing factors of both affairs, one overwhelmingly captured the attention span of the majority of Americans, and the other flopped. Based upon the statistics, does this perhaps indicate that we would rather see the Steelers take home the Lombardi Trophy than watch Sean Penn give an acceptance speech for Best Actor? And if so, what does this say about our appreciation for the arts?
Then again, some people believe that film is not art and therefore, Penn's emotionally powerful and acclaimed performance in "Milk" isn't all that exceptional. It seems that, slowly but surely, respect for the art world is declining - with UConn being no exception.
On Feb. 23, UConn President Michael Hogan told the Hartford Courant that he is considering closing the Benton Museum and the Museum of Natural History, stating that they are "not at the center of the academic mission."
By closing these buildings, the result would be that the university would be saving $1.25 million.
During these times of economic struggle, it is inevitable that cuts will have to be made and programs will have to be compromised. Tuition will likely be increased for the next academic year although the specific amount is yet to be confirmed. While I'm not sure what changes will follow besides student tuition, I'm quite sure that one does not need to be the next Picasso or Pollock to acknowledge that the closing of the Benton would be a considerable loss to the value of UConn.
Be the first to comment on this story