Getting Their Money's Worth

The news of recent donations to the University for the creation of honors programs has been greeted with enthusiasm by students, faculty, and administrators alike. Rightfully so, we believe. With the infusion of financial resources earmarked specifically for the enhancement of the College's academic landscape, there exists the opportunity for this institution to take great strides forward in its crusade for intellectual excellence. The onus is now upon the administration and deans to fully utilize these gifts by creating well thought-out, inclusive programs. An unwieldy hodgepodge of ill-conceived, exclusionary initiatives surely will not do.

As the beneficiaries of the magnanimous gifts of S. Daniel Abraham and the Schottenstein family, we the students have a responsibility as well. The donors are not, as the cynical may believe, purchasing ornate nameplates and staged ceremonies from President Lamm. They are making an investment in the future of this institution, Modern Orthodoxy, and the wider Jewish community by supporting us, the students, and seeking to improve our education. Their investment is not linked to the vagaries of the global economy or the fluctuations of the stock market; rather, their returns can be gauged by the impact their efforts have on the caliber of this university's products. Only if we the students embrace the new programs and fully exploit the opportunities they afford us will the Schottenstein and Abraham investments be considered successful.