At 09:14 PM 11/12/98 -0500, Melissa Hambruch wrote:
>I get your point, but I wasn't talking only about sports.
>I think a lot of things here are geared more toward
>alumni.  I realize it is like this at many other schools,
>too, but I don't think it should be that way.
 
Melissa, if you weren't only talking about sports, I'm curious what did you
have in mind?  What are the "lot of other things" geared to alumni are you
talking about?
 
As you know a Land Grant University has more than one mission.  In addition
to educating students, it has important research and extension functions.
These functions have important impact on the economy, the health, the
culture and the general well being of the residents of Maine.
 
I'm sure you will agree that the legislature has done a very poor job in
meeting the
financial needs of the University of Maine.  This gap can only be made up
through grants and donations from alumni and other friends of the
university.  I would put the parents of students  (some of whom are alumni)
in this important category.  I've had two of my children attend the U of M
and I know that I've put more than a few dollars into the university's coffers.
 
My degrees are from The Ohio State University and it has a tighter supply-demand
situation for football that Maine has for hockey and similar problems in
financing the
operation of the university.
 
I recently paid a student $75 for a ticket to a football game and I sat in
the middle of the student section.  If you would see me on the street you
probably would call me a gray haired old geezer.  However, being an OSU and
a Maine sports nut, I probably make more noise than many of the students at
the games.  I found a much different attitude as I sat in the OSU student
section to the one described by in the earlier messages on this topic.  We
all had a common goal...to help our team defeat Minnesota.  There was plenty
of high fives and back slapping between the students and us old gray beards.
 There was no animosity between the students and us more senior types.
 
I'm an alumnus who has donated money to my university every year since 1972
but am not one of the big $$$ donors.  Currently, OSU has a drive to get
$1.0 Billion in donations from alumni, friends and industry.  I'm not so
naive to think that a donor of $10 million will be treated the same as
someone like me who donates a couple of hundred dollars a year or a student
(and his/her parents) who pay $8,000 per year.  It isn't surprising that
these big donors are also season ticket holders.
 
Maybe my concept of what a university is all about is somewhat dated but to
me it is a place to not only to prepare for a future job but also to explore
new ideas and  learn
tolerance for other ideas and people.  I find the hostility that seems to be
there between students and alumni/STHs to be counter to what a university
education is all about.  College sports should be fun...let's all make noise
together as we help the Black Bears beat the Eagles, Terriers, Huskies and
the other teams playing in Hockey East.
 
Bob Svec
 
GO BLACK BEARS!!!