Don’t penalize UI for its strengths

Gov. Terry Branstad and the Iowa Board of Regents would like to divert funding from the University of Iowa to Iowa State University because a greater proportion of ISU's students are Iowa residents.

Yet, The Gazette reports ('Task force recommends ending VEISHEA,” July 15) that this year's ISU VEISHA disturbances 'received nearly $8 million worth of TV coverage seen by 52 million viewers - $6.8 million of which was national and almost all of which was negative.”

The Gazette also states that this year's VEISHA incidents 'happened before out-of-town guests typically arrive - meaning it primarily involved students.”

From the foregoing I conclude that ISU should strive to emulate the University of Iowa in enrolling more mature and cosmopolitan students regardless of where they come from.

Young Iowans who attend our state universities benefit from being exposed to broader and widely diverse views of the world, not from being stuck in a fishbowl full of people like themselves.

Branstad and the Regents, don't reward ISU for its limitations, and don't penalize the University of Iowa for its strengths.

Harvey Sollberger

Strawberry Point