“When I was researching for my column yesterday, I stumbled upon an interesting discovery. It appears that Luis Proenza and I actually have something in common. Google the name Luis Proenza and you’ll find a column from last June-in the Columbus Dispatch, no less-pertaining to the importance of education in the math and science realms and arguing for its increased (by $1 billion!) spending.”
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When I was researching for my column yesterday, I stumbled upon an interesting discovery.

It appears that Luis Proenza and I actually have something in common.

Google the name Luis Proenza and you’ll find a column from last June-in the Columbus Dispatch, no less-pertaining to the importance of education in the math and science realms and arguing for its increased (by $1 billion!) spending. Although its substance was a bit vague, it was, in my opinion, well-written.

But while I agreed with the content of his column, being an engineering major, I should have expected it. Dr. Proenza seems to constantly be a proponent of spending money, whether it’s on the national or local level.

Speaking of local, the Beacon recently uncovered another controversial place that our tuition money is going: to a leadership consultant.

For the president of a university. Leadership.

Well, I guess 40 other people can use him too: members of the elite top leadership team.

I shouldn’t have to explain why it’s ridiculous that this is allowed to happen. We’re doling out an extra $25 grand for this guy, plus expenses. And let me tell you, if I was on the University of Akron’s check, I wouldn’t stay at the Super 8 Motel.

It’s pretty ironic that this was taking place as the tea bag protest-‘teabagging’ seems to be the official term, at least on MSNBC-peaked yesterday. I spoke with a member of the College Republicans, Kenny Hunkas, since I, unfortunately, had to miss out on the excitement.

He informed me -and I quote here, that they had been celebrating the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party and demanding, in the spirit of the moment, that the citizens of the United States question how their money is being spent. His major question pertained to the city’s plans to shed the Y-bridge of its affectionate nickname, the suicide bridge.

Let’s get something straight. The real anniversary of the Boston Tea Party will actually occur on December 16th. The colonists’ famous cry, No taxation without representation!, is rather invalid in a modern day society, considering that we have representation.

But just like any other protestor, Hunkas had his reasons. He told me that the Congress is at a 13 percent approval rating-one of the lowest in history-and that it’s not necessary to be spending as much as we are, considering it’s not the Great Depression yet. Obama is being too partisan, he argued. I want to cause people to question the government on how they are spending our money.

I asked him what he would specifically change in Akron, hoping to hear some outrage over the University of Akron’s President or even the overpriced Student Union food. I wanted to hear about fees going up, about Proenza getting bonuses. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much to say on any of that, except that Proenza’s bonuses were justified.

In fact, he only spoke about the Y-bridge; he doesn’t want to put up glass around it with stimulus money. Which is fine, but, you know, I wouldn’t go handing out tea bags for that. I would at least get people to throw them in the Rec center hot tub-maybe the protest would actually be useful then. And delicious.

Wait, back to reality. Johanna Hariharan is protesting university spending but is in favor of government spending, while the Republican protestor is protesting government spending but remains conservative about university spending?

Well, with a bit of rationality and Keynesian economics, you’ll have your answers. Hopefully it’ll catch up with all of us soon.

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