Editorial | Misplaced altruism

Yes, many Penn students want to fix the high rise elevators.

But no, using a Facebook group to gauge student support for one alumnus' vision is not the best way to do it.

Last semester, Penn alumnus Peter Kuperman made waves when he created a Facebook group called "Yes, I want to fix the High Rise Elevators." He called on students to join, stating on the site that if 5,000 people joined the group, Kuperman would invest $250,000 into "the process of fixing or replacing the High Rise Elevators," as well as garner support from alumni.

This month, Kuperman came back to campus, both to meet with administrators and pitch his idea to students, via Locust Walk flyer distributions and the launch of a YouTube video.

Despite his seemingly good intentions, though, the potential of his plan is questionable, and is misleading to students.

On the Web site, Kuperman fails to accurately represent his plan. He has pledged to commit $50,000 to completing a feasibility study of the elevators, not to actually fix the elevators themselves. He would then present this study to the University, who would have ultimate authority over whether to fix the elevators. There is no guarantee that the University would accept Kuperman's suggestions.

He also fails to note that the University is currently investing money into fixing the elevators right now, and that many of the failures are due to misuse of the elevators on the part of students, not inherent technical problems. While the elevators are slow and may need more upgrades to respond to the amount of students who use them, it is wrong to place full blame on the University.

Kuperman's reason for doing all this, to respond to student needs, is commendable. But there are already a number of channels through which alumni can donate funds to projects on campus. If Kuperman wants to meet student needs, he should pick a project that ensures his money won't go to waste. It's going to take more than Facebook to fix the high rise elevators.

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