It amazes me how quickly people will grasp at anything to serve their own agenda. >>> Karen/Greg Ambrose <[log in to unmask]> >>> 11/24/97 09:26pm >>> >>> The Sunday, Nov. 23rd Boston Globe features an >>> article in their New England section entitled >>> "UMaine Looks to Restore Lost Stature". It >>> cites several reasons why the school's >>> enrollment has decreased 3,200 in the last >>> eight years, a drop of over 25%. Among the >>> reasons given, surprise, surprise, was the >>> circumstances surrounding the NCAA violations >>> associated with the mens' hockey team and the >>> school's method of response, especially with >>> the coach, Shawn Walsh. One reason among several ... and it wasn't one of the primary reasons. It was just one that the Globe writer enjoyed detailing. The attendance drop has occured over the last eight years ... how much of that could possibly be attributable to sanctions that were just imposed last year???? ( on stuff that just came to light the year before that!!!) >>> UMaine President Peter Hoff and student >>> government president Jennifer Nelson both >>> acknowledge that the school's handling of the >>> L'Affaire Walsh has had a detrimental effect. >>> "You had a Divsion 1 coach breaking rules and >>> getting away with it, and he's still here," >>> says Nelson. "That sends a message." Says Nelson who is likely some prima donna who is still upset that her presidential edict from a student government council was so horribly rejected by the student body she supposedly represents. >>> Hoff, the new president of the university, >>> admits that "it had a negative effect, in >>> ways that don't make sense to a lot of >>> people." Even Hoff can't understand how this could possibly have an effect. >>> It should be noted that a resolution drafted >>> by student government calling for UMaine to >>> fire Walsh was withdrawn after it met strong >>> oppositon from the student body. And, the >>> drop in enrollment is not solely attributable >>> to the hockey team's woes. Surprise, surprise!!! "Strong opposition" from the student body! Sounds like over-whelming support for Walsh to me. "Not solely attributable" sounds like "the real reason lies elsewhere, we just like to write smut!" >>> However, for this observer anyway, it is >>> comforting to know ... Anyone who finds comfort in this type of rhetorical diatribe is obviously emotionally entangled in conflicting sentiments (ie. someone who really wishes deep down that their team could beat Maine in hockey). HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.