Permanently Relegated to Second-String?
You might not see what is going on around you, but simple events that have transpired during the recent summer session might show you that UNO is still thought of as second-fiddle to that other university in the state capitol. The specific event, as reported in the Omaha World-Herald, was the current administration to fire 5 persons working in the athletic department, at a savings of $440,000 this current year. Seeming innocuous enough, this action posed a problem to many in the metro area, specifically when broken down by Tom Shatel, head sports writer for the World-Herald. This action, fiscally responsible by the university or not, seems to have completely alienated important boosters for your Mavericks. David Sokol, of Sokol Auditorium and Mid-America energy fame, makes it seem as if he or other alumni could have alleviated any sort of problem if they would have only been consulted first before the firings. Sokol has harsh words for not only Chancellor Belck, but Jim Buck who is Vice-Chancellor as well: "(They) are intentionally diminishing an athletic department with the ultimate goal of dismantling it". This type of rhetoric immediately triggers some sort of emotion in me, and I hope it does everyone else. It seems as though this is the same treatment that the university has always gotten. How many times has a conversation arose concerning a student's enrollment in UNO, and not some other place of higher learning, only to hear that person say in a derogatory fashion, "Nah, I'm just going to go to UNO". This defeatist sense of non-accomplishment should negatively effect everyone who hears it. Why? This is exactly the same attitude the persons of this establishment carry with them that ultimately tarnishes the degree at which they have worked so hard to attain.
What exactly does the negative attitude of students have to do with the state of our athletic program? For one, any diminishing move concerning our athletic program as to subjugate it to Creighton or UNL should be greatly resisted. Do you realize the caliber of athlete currently on any UNO roster? Do you realize how many of the same athletes could be recruited to come to our campus intrastate? Absolutely "name" recruits would rather play in Lincoln, but that might not always be the case. Our sports program should be placed in an environment at which to best incubate and grow, and our current administration does neither. Finally, this attitude artificially places us behind that curve. If you don't believe me, go to UNL or Creighton and look at your comparable department's professors and compare where they went to college. For example, the University of NE-Omaha Political Science Department has 2 persons who have attended Ivy League Universities, while Creighton has zero!
Simply put: "Nobody puts UNO in a corner". Take pride in your school. Start small; buy a t-shirt from the bookstore and wear it around. Go to a football game. Participate in organizations on campus. Hang-out in the student union. Talk to your professors. But whatever you do, do not let anyone take away what alumni of this university have worked to do thus far, to give current students the chance to take make the premier institution in Omaha, then Nebraska.
