At first glance, the ISU administration’s plan to close down the university during winter break seemed inappropriate as a way to battle budget cut problems.

After further examination, though, it appears the administration has come up with a pretty good alternative for saving some much-needed money for the university.

Although faculty and staff will lose approximately five days of pay during the shutdown, this extra cash may very well turn out to be the determining factor when it comes time for the inevitable elimination of faculty positions.

The proposed shutdown doesn’t appear that it will have an impact on student services or education, and the international students and those who stick around during break will not be kicked out to the curb.

It may be a little cooler (thermostats will be turned down to 68 degrees to conserve energy), and the snow may pile up (snow removal will be eliminated for this brief period), but in a time of budget crises, reasonable sacrifices are needed.

If a couple of faculty and staff members are able to keep their jobs when they otherwise would’ve been let go, these minor inconveniences are a small price to pay.

The snowball effect of the most recent budget cuts are starting to hit home for a lot more people around campus.

Everyone will be affected, and everyone should step up to the plate to try to do whatever it takes to alleviate some of the inevitable cuts.

Cold weather, snow build-ups and the closing of the library may seem severe, but looking to the effects in the long run, the ISU administration has proposed a fair and reasonable answer.

editorialboard: Carrie Tett, Jocelyn Marcus, Katie Goldsmith, Andrea Hauser and Tim Paluch