Free tuition for Yale drama students

Author: Unpopular 2 years ago

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Unpopular

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Unpopular

07.02.2021 06:28PM

Yala drama school is now tuition free thanks to a $150 million donation by billionaire David Geffen. Not to be one to criticize a good deed, but is this the best way you could spend $150 million? He did not choose to spend it on the poor, he chose to spend it on people who can already afford to go to Yale. The people who attend Yale are going to be successful regardless if they major in drama, acting, or what have you, and they already have so many connections just by being there.

He didn't donate it to public colleges, he didn't donate it to underfunded youth, or inner city schools. He did not donate to arts programs for kids who can't afford to attend acting classes, but to adults who already have enough talent to get into Yale drama.

If he wanted to donate $150 million, what about $25 million to Yale drama and maybe 125 million split for kids with cancer or kids without parents? Firefighters, cops, and others who have died on the job, maybe their kids might need money for college? Or if you feel like donating to Yale in particular, maybe the science department or other programs could use some help too?

Forgive me, I know I should be happy about this donation (even if it was likely done for tax purposes) but if you are going to donate for tax purposes or charity, I can't help but feeling like the money could have been better spent. Billionaires throwing $150 million at elite private drama programs, just speaks so much about what's wrong with our society and government in one gesture some could interpret as kindness, but I interpret as something negative, almost like a cruel slap in the face.

oromagi

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oromagi

07.03.2021 05:58AM

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@Unpopular

If your argument was only

the money could have been better spent

I'd think I'd have a hard time disagreeing but as an example of

what's wrong with our society and government

I think I could come up with at least 150 million examples of spending more egregious then paying for a couple hundred college tuitions. I mean it seems like we should be able to agree that soliciting for donations to a charity and then using those funds to fly to Paris with Salma Hayek, as our former president has admitted doing, is far worse behavior, ethically and legally then paying for some student's college tuition, or spending $4.8 billion on luxury yacht (32 times Geffen's donation) as Robert Kuok has done. I mean, at least Geffen's donation wasn't entirely selfish or wasteful or done under false pretenses.

Geffen himself has a $590 million dollar yacht that seems like it should come in for about four times the amount of "money better spent" critique than his Yale charity.

In Geffen's defense, Geffen was a failed actor before making himself a billionaire as a talent agent and studio executive. The Yale program is incredibly distinguished- offering Master's degrees and Doctorates to only about 50 students a year and producing an impressive number of successful theater professional out of that group. But a year at Yale cost about $100,000, placing a deep financial burden on artists who seldom make a great fortune (unlike many Yale degree holders). I'm sure Geffen thinks of this as giving back to his profession, the industry that made him rich as well as an opportunity to associate his name with one of the classiest brands in show business.

You argue that the science dept or cancer research might have been preferable so let's make sure to note that Geffen has already given $250 million to UCLA Med school and $100 million to renovate the Lincoln Center to the public benefit of New Yorkers, at least, as well as numerous other charities.

I'm not saying your argument is entirely without merit but if you are going to go after wasteful charity or selfish extravagance, there are a whole lot of far worse public cases to target than Geffen's donation here.

Topic's author

Unpopular

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Unpopular

07.03.2021 12:17PM

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@oromagi

I'm not saying your argument is entirely without merit but if you are going to go after wasteful charity or selfish extravagance, there are a whole lot of far worse public cases to target than Geffen's donation here.

These are two separate issues. I do not deny he could have chosen to buy something more frivolous rather then make a donation, however, you can appreciate a donation and still be disappointed at the same time. If a restaurant messes up my order and gives me steak instead of pizza, I enjoy the steak and it could have been worse but I really wanted the pizza. I am not trying to say this man has not been generous in the past, or that he couldn't have made a worse decision, because I do appreciate this and see why he might value the arts, especially if it made him rich. I am just saying there are kids out there dying of cancer, kids in Africa who can't afford basic water to drink. I know the arts are important, and you can spend your money however you want, and all donations to charities are better than nothing, but getting someone a doctorate in the arts from Yale for 100,000 doesn't seem as meaningful as bringing water to a village for 25,000 or making sure small babies don't die of malaria, but maybe that's just me. Maybe if I were a failed actor I would understand the value of a Yale arts masters degrees. I thought the arts was supposed to be about feeling and creating and a range of human experience, not prestigious degrees from top tier universities, but what do I know. I'm sure those people will appreciate doing their 100,000 acting warm ups for free, and good for them. I'm happy for them, just a little disappointed at the same time.

Bones

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Bones

07.03.2021 01:36PM

At least he didn't invest in gender studies.