TO THE EDITOR:
A kvetch was published Jan. 27 asking how much tuition money goes toward operating the Kenan Stadium video boards. I did not write the kvetch, but earlier last week I did email our Athletic Director, Bubba Cunningham, and I asked him why the boards are used so much out-of-season.
Each board probably consumes 30 to 50 kilowatts during operation, and electricity costs about 8 cents per kilowatt hour, meaning UNC would pay about $1000 per week if the boards were left on 24/7 (though they are not).
I received a prompt and friendly response from Cunningham explaining that the boards had been on so much over the past weeks because the football team was ramping up recruiting before signing day.
I am writing all of this to suggest two things: First, everyone in this community may not agree on the optimal allocation of university money to athletic recruiting, but the boards’ use was probably justified under the umbrella of recruiting.
Second, my exchange with the administrators in our athletic department displayed an impressive level of concern for non-athlete students’ interests.
Students do not need to attack the athletic department through the Kvetching Board; the athletics administrators are open and willing to enter into dialogue with students.
The tuition increase debate is always a fiery one, but I encourage students to address the real problem: proper incentivizing to minimize costs.
It’s possible that many departments aren’t held accountable for their energy consumption and therefore have no economic incentive to conserve. We might be able to limit tuition increases by holding campus groups accountable for their energy use.
Kevin Dolan ’13
Economics
