![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() It could cover potential revenue designated for public schools, the pipeline for future homegrown NU students. It should continue the Good Neighbor donation program that has purchased fire engines and ambulances and supported other community needs to date. It should include revenue sharing, covering services asked of and provided by the city. Whether the new Ryan Field is built, not built or deferred, NU should develop good will with all of its Evanston neighbors and formulate a contract to manage expectations with the city.In my perfect Northwestern world, I see the recent football and baseball situations as a catharsis for the university to move forward in a positive direction. Long before the proposed $800 million rebuild of Ryan Field, Northwestern completed a $110 million renovation of Welsh-Ryan Arena. There was little communication until new seating was determined only by ability to pay, with long-term loyalty not considered. We basketball season ticket holders noted that fact when the rebuilt Welsh-Ryan Arena was completed. ![]() The department’s main emphasis has been to make money. It is a proud record often countered by little transparency surrounding scandals, including sexual misconduct accusations brought by cheerleaders, mistakes in hiring the previous athletic director, who was involved in the cheerleader problem, and now, of course, by recent hazing and bullying accusations. In recent years, the NU athletic department, to its credit, has emphasized academic achievement by its athletes. The transparency issue comes to light generally when students, faculty or outside parties call to question important issues affecting the university and its constituent relationships, both internally and with external neighbors. When the Daily Northwestern revealed the true egregiousness of the problem, only then did Northwestern make the necessary decisions regarding coaching. Now, however, my “bleeding purple” membership is being tested not only by the revealed culture on the football and baseball teams, which have disparaged the reputation of the whole university, but by the lack of transparency of the university in general.Ĭlearly, Coach Fitzgerald’s early suspension was the result of the whitewashed executive summary of the hazing problem. That integrity is what has underscored our continuing NU football and men’s basketball season ticket memberships literally for decades (family basketball tickets since McGaw Hall opened in 1952). I have felt the same for NU athletics which, despite many losing seasons over the years, has distinguished itself for its integrity, especially in its academic progress and graduation rates. As a graduate school alumnus, I’m proud of the university’s many accomplishments in its academic and research endeavors and in attaining national top tier recognition. Given the current hazing scandal in football and the accusations of bullying in baseball, it is time for Northwestern to reboot, both athletically and in general. ![]()
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