I cannot agree more with S.A.E. Miller (“Izzo paid too much during tough times,” SN 11/12) regarding Izzo’s paycheck. Unfortunately I do not share Miller’s view of the exceptionalism of the College of Engineering. The primary purpose of a university is to provide an education - in a number of equally worthy disciplines and subjects.

I find it abhorrent that many instructors, most graduate assistants and a whole other number of staff essential to the the university, find themselves fighting for a range of benefits integral to a basic standard of living, while the basketball and football programs are pandered to in a manner that defies the MSU Promise and Guiding Principles. I wholeheartedly appeal to the entire MSU community to support the faculty and the Coalition of Labor Unions in retaining their quality health care, and support your graduate assistants in fighting for an employment contract that raises them above the bread line.

In turn, we all need to reject Izzo’s raise, question why the football team is afforded extra, costly tuition to squeeze members through academia, and ask if the beautification of south campus is more important than MSU employees with uninsured chronic illnesses. The administration’s priorities have somehow gone awry.

Duncan Woodhead
history graduate student