from the interactions i have had with kids who got full ride scholarships, and the art that they created, i think the world is better off with the bronze statue. i don't think the world needs to encourage people who can paint hyper realistic sticks of deodorant anymore than it already does.

3 incoming ccad freshmen receive a full ride scholarship each year.

Not defending anything. I think it's a dumb argument.
I should just stop there but maybe I can explain.

So...let's recount some of this...

Crusty old douchebag gets a statue of himself erected at a college that he did something substantial for. Though I'm guessing the statue idea was probably not initiated by said douchebag.

I dunno, If the guy helped start some great institution for higher learning, that over the course of time HELPED deserving people receive an education, was it all that bad? Should we not have any statues in the world? Or just ones of people you give a shit about?

At the same time, colleges are money making institutions first and foremost. It's a business, and that's just how it is. I'm not defending it. But, Fancy stuff on pretty campuses attract young unknowing parents and prospective students to go home and say, "yeah, it was a pretty campus, it looked nice." before they ever even attended an actual class. They attend based on reputation and looks.

Without defending anything, I just think it's dumb to assume a college does anything for the sake of anything other than making money anymore.

Would our world be better if there were no monuments and everyone just got to split that money up and apply it to higher education?

The argument just starts to sound like a John Lennon song at that point.

...an arts college founder is something to be....