Give 'em hell, Panther! Seriously, this guy is pretty much a complete jobber. I get the sensation that he felt we were all passing judgement upon him personally. I don't know Adam, but if I did, I'd probably spend most of my time telling him, "No, it doesn't work that way."
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If I were still a student...
I'd probably call Adam and tell him how he was wrong. But that was long ago when I was a bit more immautre than I am today. But, if I did meet Mr. Plagge, I would ask him if it's worth $40 of his to have the opportunity to attend ANY AND ALL athletic events on campus with just his student ID.
If you look at what the other Regent's schools charge their students for tickets, the UNI student population is getting a GIFT from the athletic department. And how do the students repay the school for this gift? That's right, they don't show up! Nice.
That's like someone giving you something very well thought of for Christmas and you choosing never to open it up! Not even saying "thanks for thinking of me"!
The apathy is really sad to see. I just want a reason why. Other schools in our conference get more student interest. Other schools in our conference charge their students and get more interest.
I don't want to hear, "It's boring", or "I'm too busy". If everyone became better time managers, you'd have time. Think about all of the time you wasted as a student...then try the "I don't have time" argument again.
All this is...it's apathy. Kids today don't care about anything but themselves. And that is what is most sickening about this. Attending a University is about community and taking in what is offered from the school.
I'm just sorry so many kids don't "get it".
It's really fun if they can get over being "too cool" to go to games. I know for a fact that most of the students at UNI either were student-athletes in high school, or were a part of athletics in high school as a band member or just a fan. Why did they do it in high school, but choose not to support their new colors in college? It's more intense in college! It's definitely more fun!
I feel like this today. Why don't kids get it?
"10% of life is what happens to you, 90% is how you react to what happens."
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Here is my response to Adam Plagge...sent to NI.
First of all, thanks for printing my editorial on attendance of school activities including athletic events. Second, I’m sure there will be an abundance of students who do not agree with my line of thinking. So, I’ve crafted this in response to the students who may respond to my initial editorial.
I think the "I'm here for an education" argument is admirable, but it's just a company line that students say when they don't feel like participating. It's what they think people want to hear. Well, they couldn't be farther from the truth. College is most certainly about expanding your knowledge and experiencing new things in the world of academics. But, it's also about becoming a fan of your school and all it has to offer, not only in the classroom, but in the world of their social and recreational lives as well.
When they are out in a bar on the Hill, are they there for their education? When they drive to Iowa City or Ames to go to a football game and then stay to party there, are they there for their education? When they skip classes, are they there for their education? When they go to a study group just because someone they think is cute will be there, is that for their education???
I wonder if the kids who are seen tearing down the goalposts at football games across the country are there for their education. I wonder if all of the co-eds you can see on an MTV Spring Break show are there for their education. Now, I'm not saying these things are right or wrong. I'm just saying that I've seen a lot of things on campus in Cedar Falls in my day as a student that didn't have ANYTHING to do with an education. But what those activities did do was add to the total college experience. And becoming interested in ALL (not just athletics) that a campus has to offer is part of being a college student.
I guess I could become convinced of this line of thinking if there were documentation that all of the students who chose not to go to the football game on Saturday were in the library studying or working to assist in paying for tuition. Since we all know that's not true, that argument falls on deaf ears with me.
It's time for people to be realistic and call a spade a spade. The majority of the student body is APATHETIC about UNI Panther Athletics in general. Hopefully the students who are at UNI for an education won't have to look this word up since they are spending all of their time studying. For those that are loyal UNI fans and students, THANKS! Keep up the good work and keep trying to open the eyes of the "here for my education" crowd. Make sure you remind them about that commitment to education when they want to go out drinking, skip a class or drive to a different campus for a game some weekend.
"10% of life is what happens to you, 90% is how you react to what happens."
Chris Bowser
UNI ‘96"10% of life is what happens to you, 90% is how you react to what happens."
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in response to Plagge, i'll adapt my father's favorite saying when someone goes over the edge and becomes a jackass at a sporting event, "you don't have to take an IQ test to buy a ticket." well, you don't have to pass a test to write a letter to the editor!! thats about it, he is misinformed....
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Very nice Panther. I certainly hope the NI prints it.
I've always had my own take on the pride somebody shows for their school. I feel that if you are not proud of the college/university you attended, in all areas (academics, athletics, etc.,) then you picked the wrong school.
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You know, I was watching the Wake Forest game on tv last night with my wife. As I was sitting there watching a great game, the announcer said, "The Screaming Deacons are the Wake Forest Student Section. Half of the enrolled students at Wake are in the Screaming Deacons. If they miss 2 games all year, they can't keep their seat...and they pay money for those seats."
I'm sitting there watching all the students go crazy, enjoying themselves, hanging out with their friends (making new ones), and saying to myself, "they get it." It's not necessarily about the W's and L's, but how much fun you have (and typically the more fun you have, the better your team does...i.e.-see Maniacs last season). They had their spiral circles spinning, jumping up and down, clapping in synchronized formations, and yelling at the top of their lungs to root their team on to victory (and make it hard for the opponents to do the same).
Half their school is in that section....you know for sure that half the students in the individual basketball players' classes are going to be saying, "good game" and "great effort" and "what a crazy dunk that was" or "man, such and such was on fire last night". It really makes the students and the athletes a more cohesive group. I have to think that the more participation from students in the athletics sector has to make athletes more apt to participate in the student sector and bring the university together.
I guess what I am saying here is, if students feel like they are part of something, the more they are willing to put into it. If they go to games and have something in common with the athletes on the field of competition, the more likely the athletes are going to get involved in regular students lives. It really does bring the university together. And I have to think that the athletic dept. already makes a point to reach out their hand to the university....but when does the university (students) reach back to the athletes and coaches?
You know, eight months ago, UNI basketball made everyone at UNI proud to be from here. Now, where has that pride gone to on campus?The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice, clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Fire goes before Him, and consumes his foes on every side; His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles; the mountains melt like wax before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim His righteousness and all peoples will see His glory.
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Pttb -
PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR LAST POST TO THE NI! That's exactly what students need to read. You've said it so eloquently and hopefully if someone reads it, more students will "get it" and start feeling more pride to get to home sporting events!
Also, lost in this conversation, I'm absolutely sure that Wake Forest is a well-respected institute of higher learning. The kids who attend Wake Forest are the best and brightest, but it seems they understand that the "total college experience" includes being a normal college kid from time to time.
Please post that to the Nothern Iowan!"10% of life is what happens to you, 90% is how you react to what happens."
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The kids who attend Wake Forest are the best and brightest, but it seems they understand that the "total college experience" includes being a normal college kid from time to time.
I'm not sure what it takes to get this student body to "get it," but it's certainly not an easy process. My parents, for the record, would probably get really sick of me being home every weekend, and I can't imagine my parents being weird or anything. I have to move in my life sometime.
But that's the end of my sermon. I apologize for getting off on tangent like that. PTTB, SEND THAT IN.
"Once it starts, it never ends."
-Eldon Miller
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That's an excellent point!
At some point the issue of UNI being a "suitcase college" must come up with these students. Part of going to college is actually being away from home and meeting new people and then participating in activities with them on the weekend. I'm guessing students would have more time for their education if they weren't trekking all across the state starting Friday after class every single weekend!
The UNI student body is made up of a majority of people, in my humble opinion, that either miss their lives in high school, have a boyfriend/girlfriend at home, want their mommies to do their laundry, or just feel they can have more fun at home doing the same things they've done for the last four years of high school rather than try something new at college.
UNI has so much to offer for its on and off campus students in the way of entertainment...why don't they take advantage? It's awful.
Ontheprowl, you need to post yours as well...the whole, "I miss my high school" argument makes a heck of a lto more sense than students trying to play the "my education" card again.
I think I'll check out Duke's average ACT score, compare it to UNI's and wonder out loud if those kids feel camping out in Krzyzewskiville the night before a game is a part of that education? If students at much more prestigious academic institutions like Stanford and Duke can paint their faces and act like normal kids for a couple of hours a week at a basketball game...why can't the students at UNI? Before a student says, "that level of basketball is much more exciting" I say to that, we play at the same level. UNI made the NCAA's last season and schools in our conference like Wichita State, Southern Illinois and Creighton have GREAT student sections! It's a tired conversation and I'm wondering if the students at UNI will ever "get it"."10% of life is what happens to you, 90% is how you react to what happens."
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I'm giving some consideration to putting that in the NI, but they're probably sick of hearing from me. I might, however, have a friend send it in....
But yeah. I agree. The MVC is easily the most up-and-coming conference in basketball right now. We have the nation's attention. I think it would be foolish of us to sell ourselves short and say that we aren't at the same level as all these other schools. It is, after all, getting harder for ESPN to dog us since we've sent multiple schools to the tourney for the past few years.
Maybe (hopefully) we'll be proven wrong once basketball season gets here. I know a lot of people who have said that that's what they've been waiting for. If we have problems, though, I won't be so silent.
"Once it starts, it never ends."
-Eldon Miller
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this one time i was at shag's when they had midget wrestling on a wednesday (my roommate made me go) and it was in the winter time.... we were talking to a mutual friend and talked about the upcoming weekend..... i was going to the men's basketball game that weekend, and upon asking if this friend was going to the game, she said something to the effect of going home so that she could get some studying done.....
some people will never "get it" but you have to keep trying to pound it in there head. i didn't want to regret anything while i was in CF for four years and while i do, i'll never have to say "man, wish i would've went to more UNI football/basketball games when i was there!"..... while so many others will when we win the national championship in football ...this year, or next year, or the next year.....because it will happen! or go back to the NCAA basketball tourney!!
for all the passionate people on this board, rest easy, you won't ever be able to say that either and you'll be able to enjoy that championships as have cheered the team on in the past....
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Can resist
BTrue-----good post. But when I started to read it, the first sentence had that same ring as that famous movie line "One time, at Band Camp------." I chuckled. Please don't be offended.You don't break out the Purple and Gold on game days or look for special gifts and gadgets bearing the colors because you want to be seen among the loyal. Purple and Gold aren't colors you see---they're colors you feel. They run through your veins with a continuous roar.
Ya Gotta Believe
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