To the outsider, the Bush library symbolizes controversy. To SMU officials, the library is a coup. But to most SMU students, the library is something of an enigma.
Some students don’t want the library. Sara Sanchez, a junior majoring in Spanish and ethnic studies, doesn’t welcome the presidential library. She says that President Bush wasn’t a great leader, and shouldn’t have his name tied to SMU. Because she has an opinion about the historic endeavor, she thinks other students should have a voice too.
“The faculty and students are what make up this institution,” she said. “Of course they should be asked about the library.”
But overwhelmingly, most students say they just don’t care.
Kristen Terlip, a senior majoring in real estate, could care less about the Bush library being here. She only shows interest when a shopping center may be torn down to make room for the library.
“I don’t care about it because it doesn’t affect me. But if they knocked down any shopping centers I’d be upset,” she said.
Most students said they are not concerned because the library does not directly affect them. Their tuition won’t be raised to build the library. Their everyday life will remain the same.
For SMU officials, the Bush Library is a very big deal. They spent three years working feverishly to land it. On Feb. 22, 2008, they announced SMU had been chosen for the library – a decision that will shape SMU’s history whether students like it or not.
JaNiece Davis, a freshman, interprets the library coming to SMU as a representation of the conservativism of the school, a stance that does not correlate with her views. She said it doesn’t surprise her that the students weren’t asked their opinion, but it would’ve been nice if officials had asked.
“I would’ve liked to voice my opinion,” said Davis, “I thought students would’ve been asked.”
There are 13 Presidential libraries in the country. Only two reside in Texas, the George Bush Sr. Library at Texas A&M University and the Lyndon B. Johnson Library at University of Texas at Austin. Both A&M and UT are research universities; SMU is not.
The LBJ Library is 10-stories high and the George Bush Sr. Library is 21,000 square feet. The Dallas Morning News reports that President Bush Jr.’s library will be an estimated 207,000 square feet. This is the size of an average Wal-Mart. It will be the biggest building on the SMU campus.
The estimated cost for the Bush Library at SMU now tops $250 million. By comparison, his father’s library cost $90 million. The Clinton Library totaled $160 million.
The Bush Library at SMU is different from other presidential libraries in another respect. SMU President R. Gerald Turner agreed to give the Bush family complete control over the library’s research center. This means the Bush family can determine which scholars to bring in and what positions to take on controversial issues.
Because the Bush family has complete control over the library, this can bring a certain affiliation of those principles to the school. This seems to be the part of the package that students don’t want.
Michael Doyle, a junior, isn’t opposed to the library or the fact that he wasn’t asked about it.
“I do think students should’ve been asked what they thought about the library, but since I’m not against it being here I’m fine that I wasn’t asked,” he explains.
