December 16, 2008 1:37PM # Professorial Feeding Frenzy By [Neal McCluskey](https://www.cato.org/people/neal-mccluskey) --- SHARE Just as [predicted](https://www.cato.org/2008/12/12/bye-bye-budget-witch/), more and more [ivory-tower sharks ](http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/12/16/stimulus)are gathering for the taxpayer bloodlet…er…stimulus. But what choice do they have? Even Harvard’s had to [cut back](http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/12/15/harvard_pursues_an_unfamiliar_discipline/): > Even holiday parties for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences have been scaled back. > On Thursday, Harvard deans and administrators will gather in the faculty room in University Hall for one bash instead of two, normally held off-site. No spouses or other guests. Only wine, beer, soda; no hard liquor. > But the festivities will not entirely lose their glow. Harvard being Harvard, the faculty room is plush — adorned with crystal chandeliers, Oriental carpets, and marble busts and oil paintings of Harvard’s presidents and famous alumni. The mint-green walls are accented with Greek columns. Revelers will feast on puff pastries, canapes, and other hors d’oeuvres as a student plays seasonal music from the grand piano in the corner. ##### Related Tags [Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).