As a former University Guide, I feel I must respond to Amelia Meyer’s column (“Pointless preservation,” Oct. 8). While everyone, including the University, is feeling the pinch of our current economic situation (and I sincerely doubt that the quality of its academic programs will be waylaid by the improvements to the Academical Village), the University has a responsibility to maintain, conserve and even improve the authenticity of the Academical Village. Far from being a “blind commitment” or “ridiculous obsession,” the University — as a UNESCO World Heritage site — has an obligation to perform such work. In 1987, the year the original Grounds and Monticello were added to the UNESCO list, the Advisory Body Evaluation stated that “every guarantee for their conservation has been obtained, whether it be from the Jefferson Memorial Foundation or the State of Virginia.” Indeed, the organization states that “the protection, management, authenticity, and integrity of properties are important considerations” for inclusion. As the only American university included, our place on this list is a great honor for the University. Though often tenuous, the University has an undeniable history that should be preserved and remembered, in times of economic difficulty or not.
Caitlan Smith
CLAS ‘07
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