Why is it that administrators never fire themselves to save money for the university? I've always been curious about that. Why is it always somebody else's ass, or somebody else's tuition that's on the line?

I mean, if they're so serious about providing a quality education to the students here, about wanting "UAF to be better than we already are," and yet we're in the midst of a budget crisis, why not just eliminate positions at the top?

Is it because they're the ones in charge, holding the purse strings, and therefore have the ultimate job security? Really, I want to know.

Would the whole university fall apart if we didn't have as many brown-nosing paper-pushers making decisions for us and telling everyone else what to do and how to do it? Do we really need more of that, or do we need quality professors, more classroom space, and more class offerings? Does anyone else ponder things like these, or is it just me?

Why is it that every time the University of Alaska Board of Regents tries to improve the financial situation at the university, it is done through cutting programs that directly affect students, like the senior tuition waiver that narrowly escaped the chopping block last week, or by raising tuition by ten percent every year? Why don't they downsize the bureaucracy instead of downsizing accessibility for students?

Do we absolutely have to have two levels of bureaucracy-both at the campus and at the statewide level-to run what most consider a small, state school?

Do we really need catered events for all the suits-and-ties? Who needs the free food more: Is it the guy with the comb-over hairdo, the Rolex watch and the nice, shiny shoes, or is the student who has three bucks in his pocket and can barely afford a slice of pizza?

Why do they get gourmet food, sometimes sculptured into animal shapes, food that is rarely finished off entirely? Why do students passing through the Wood Center feel lucky to happen upon a little artichoke dip and a toasted piece of bread?

I want to know: What's the view like from the Butrovich Building? Is it nice? Does it look out on Fairbanks from up on a hill? Sometimes on a clear day, can you see the Alaska Range sitting far off in the distance? Why are there no classrooms on campus with windows looking out on such a picturesque scene?

Is all of this necessary for furthering the stated goals of the university, or is it all just hypocrisy?

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