All across the US, in all colleges, many college sports fans make great efforts to host opposing teams and their supports to join them, to provide them with the best in hospitality. At the same time, the home team college expends much money marketing games, to encourage other teams and their supports to visit, which increases attendance, which boosts revenues for the teams, and also generates support for all of the college's programs.
In tandem, the city, county and state governments sink a lot of money, attention, and effort to improve local colleges, at least partially so that tourists- which in this case means the opponents- will visit and put money into local coffers and the tax base.
Finally, former students and others at each instituion donate from their pockets, to promote their college as a font of school and community pride, for everyone involved, for the prestige of serving as leaders in various academic, intellectual, and civic fields.
And after all that, when opposing schools visit, there will always be some students and fans who insult these people. Curse them. Make obscene gestures at them.
And perhaps most vulgar, they "Boo". After all of that effort, attempting to show off the institution and the town, attempting to prove what higher education is all about, and working to prove what a civilized and warm college and community they are, when the opponents walk through the tailgating, and worse-- when the opposing teams take the field-- the crowd boos them.
These are what college education is all about? These are your students, your alumni? These are the smartest and best of your community? These is your source of leadership? This is the quality of your college degree?
This will not do. "Big time" has nothing to do with "lowlife".
But happens everywhere, all across the country. It's not a secret, everyone recognizes it. But they do nothing anything about it.
This simply cannot be tolerated. It is time for the student governments, the college administrations, the alumni associations, and the athletics departments to do what a University is supposed to do:
Produce alumni and students who know better.
In tandem, the city, county and state governments sink a lot of money, attention, and effort to improve local colleges, at least partially so that tourists- which in this case means the opponents- will visit and put money into local coffers and the tax base.
Finally, former students and others at each instituion donate from their pockets, to promote their college as a font of school and community pride, for everyone involved, for the prestige of serving as leaders in various academic, intellectual, and civic fields.
And after all that, when opposing schools visit, there will always be some students and fans who insult these people. Curse them. Make obscene gestures at them.
And perhaps most vulgar, they "Boo". After all of that effort, attempting to show off the institution and the town, attempting to prove what higher education is all about, and working to prove what a civilized and warm college and community they are, when the opponents walk through the tailgating, and worse-- when the opposing teams take the field-- the crowd boos them.
These are what college education is all about? These are your students, your alumni? These are the smartest and best of your community? These is your source of leadership? This is the quality of your college degree?
This will not do. "Big time" has nothing to do with "lowlife".
But happens everywhere, all across the country. It's not a secret, everyone recognizes it. But they do nothing anything about it.
This simply cannot be tolerated. It is time for the student governments, the college administrations, the alumni associations, and the athletics departments to do what a University is supposed to do:
Produce alumni and students who know better.
About the Author:
Joseph N. Abraham is the President of the American Public School Endowments and booksXYZ.com the nonprofit bookstore supporting education.
0 comments:
Post a Comment