National President: Let Me Hear You Shout
5/11/2004Ican't recall the last time I was as proud to be a member of the University of Minnesota community as I am right now.
In early spring, the Gopher women's basketball team earned its first-ever Final Four berth when it defeated top-seeded Duke in front of an overwhelming crowd of Minnesota fans who traveled to cheer them on. A week earlier, the women's hockey team brought home a hard-earned and well-deserved national championship, while the men's hockey team served up plenty of thrills as it ascended to the final eight. And I'm still recovering from the Gopher football team's down-to-the-wire Sun Bowl victory this winter.
Playing with pride for their teams, their school, and their fans, these talented student athletes ignited an immensely powerful surge of enthusiasm that spread like wildfire from campus, across the state, and throughout the country. These stellar athletic achievements unite us and make us feel good about who we are and where we come from. They also alert the rest of the world to the fact that the University of Minnesota is a strong, proud, supportive community of high-achieving students, athletes, and alumni. It's a place to be admired.
So while we're all still bursting with pride, I'd like to make a suggestion: Let's harness this energy and apply it to what I believe is an absolutely critical community-building effort. The state legislature is currently deciding whether to approve the University's proposal to build a new on-campus Gopher football stadium. Trouble is, a pair of our hometown professional sports franchises—the Twins and the Vikings—also have stadium proposals on the table. Those pitches have attracted the lion's share of headlines, and while we wish the Twins and Vikings well, we can't allow them to consume the majority of our legislators' attention.
For those unfamiliar with the University's proposal, I'll provide a few Xs and Os. The U has submitted to the legislature a plan to build a $222 million football stadium on campus, adjacent to Mariucci and Williams arenas. The University has offered to cover 60 percent of the total cost through private funding. Conversely, the Twins and Vikings have offered to cover just 30 percent of the costs of their stadiums, which carry much heftier price tags. In other words, an on-campus stadium is a good deal for the people of Minnesota.
Building a Gopher stadium is about more than bringing Gopher football back to campus. It's about building community—providing valuable opportunities for Minnesotans to connect with their university and for today's students to forge an even stronger lifelong connection to their school. We'll gather here not only for football games, but also for commencements, convocations, and homecomings. It'll be our 50,000-seat community center.
Your UMAA national board is committed to making this happen. Last fall, I reported that the board voted unanimously to pledge $1 million to the University of Minnesota for an on-campus, Gopher-only football stadium and an additional $500,000 for scholarships. A pledge is a promise on a piece of paper. But earlier this year, the U's administration asked if we would consider releasing $250,000 of our pledge to help get this project off the ground. In February, the board voted unanimously to do so. Fellow board member Dennis Schulstad (B.A. '66) concisely summed up the spirit of that meeting. "Money talks," he said. "Early money shouts!"
I encourage you to "shout" too—with friendly phone calls to your legislators. Send them the message, loud and clear, that Gopher football deserves to reclaim its rightful place in our community—on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
To learn more about the University's stadium plan, or to show your support by adding your name to a growing list of friends and alumni who want to bring football home, visit www.umn.edu/stadium.
 | | | |
|
Print View