Do New TVs Fit into a Greener Choate? Masthead Editorial
By The News Masthead
Walking into the dining hall no longer means prepping one’s self for a hearty meal. And passing through the two glass doors of the Worthington Johnson Athletic Center is not just for rigorous athletics anymore. No, these places have become the media epicenters for the Choate Rosemary Hall community. Both the dining hall and The Ex now are equipped with ginormous flat screen T.V.’s and computers with internet and network access to keep us more connected with the world than ever before. While this luxury may make a small percentage of the community happy, the question we must ask is: Why?
Before Thanksgiving break, Student Council President Jeff Rosen announced to the school the energy conservation competition among New England Prep Schools as part of a growing initiative to conserve more energy and become a “greener” campus. Rosen also reported that Headmaster Shanahan would be willing to grant the school an extra Presidents Day in the spring term if we beat Deerfield. Well, if the students are doing their part in turning off their lights, keeping the heat off unless absolutely necessary and not taking long showers, shouldn’t the school be taking similar steps to conserve energy? Keeping two T.V.’s on for 12 hours a day does not coincide with what the school is asking from us. Furthermore, why couldn’t the school take the money for these T.V.’s and spend them on something to make us more green—not less.
In addition to the cost both monetarily and environmentally, the channel choices and locations of these channels have been stirring controversy among the politically sensitive. Why was CNN, the generally more liberal news source for Americans, put in the more central dining hall and Fox News, the more conservative source in the more out of the way and less frequented Ex? The News does not endorse either channel, but does not support making a blatantly partisan choice for our everyday lives.
In short, these T.V.’s are unnecessary for both their cost and what the community gets out of this presence. The dining hall and athletic center should be an escape from the hectic lives we lead, not an extension of them.
