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| Denis Illige-Saucier Concerning the proposal to sell WUEV: As a private institution, I understand that the University must consider its assets in a quantifiable way, and financial factors cannot be ignored. I believe that the value of WUEV is greater than its worth on the open market, and would be a loss that would have a tangible negative effect for the University and the local community. As an Admission Ambassador, one of the points that I made while give tours to prospective students was the opportunity to work at WUEV. A successful tour consists of showing off the many different things, both large and small, that make UE an appealing choice for that student. Finding out about the possibility of working on the radio for students of all majors always drew a positive reaction from prospective students and parents, and those little moments are essential to creating a positive impression of UE. As a student, I have never worked for WUEV, and I cannot pretend that I have it on around the clock. What is important to me is knowing that it is there. Whether I'm working in my office, driving somewhere, or just laying in bed, I appreciate being able to turn on WUEV. There are only two radio stations in Evansville that I can stand to listen to, WUEV and National Public Radio, I would deeply regret the loss of either one of them. One of the proposed advatages of the sale would be opening up space in Olmsted Hall, and as the Editor of the Evansville Review with an office in Olmsted, I am more aware than the average student of how useful that space would be. Nonetheless, office space does not contribute to creating the unique atmosphere that makes UE stand out. If you ask the most active and enthusiastic students why they are willing to put in so much time and energy, their responses are likely to mention the strong atmosphere of community here at UE, and WUEV is one of the many intangible threads that make up that fabric. One program, the children's show Rated G, stands out in particular as something that would be missed by the community and could not be replaced through a campus-only station. Over the last couple of years, I would turn on the radio when I finished working at an Open House on Saturday morning, and it was always touching to hear the children that would call in. My biggest point of opposition to the proposed sale of WUEV is that there has not been any plan announced for how the money would be spent. Unless a clear plan is presented that outlines how the income would be used, there is no way to judge whether it is worth the loss of a significant part of the UE community. As long as such a plan has not been created and opened up for debate, I will categorically oppose any sale of WUEV using all of my influence as a student leader. Denis Illige-Saucier |