I go on this rant because I feel like steps could be taken to improve student life and campus unity and it doesn't have to involve spending thousands of dollars on an indoor rave party, or a motivational speaking little person event that draws a couple dozen students AT BEST.
Here are my ideas:
Intramural sports
So going into this final semester, I wanted to do some intramural sports, specifically basketball and sports trivia.
I grabbed the little sign-up sheet and had a $20 in my wallet to pay for my entry, but then I read the sheet and only team rates were available.
When I asked what the cost was for individuals, the girl behind the desk gave me a blank stare like she left her brain in her workout locker and said I needed enough members to form a team myself.
What the heck?
While I am a sexy athletic man who runs, swims and is nearly a black belt, many of my friends generally keep to one sport or are girly girls who don't want to look dumb in public competition.
I ran into the same problem with Oozeball this year. Most of the people I was around at the time (mostly from my job) took issue with either the mud, the volleyball or the day, so I couldn't compete.
I'm sorry, but this is exactly why we're a commuter campus with an apathetic student base. Freshman, transfers and people with busy/non-athletic friends can't fill teams with people they know.
This means they either have to be "that person," randomly asking people in the gym to "be their new buddy" and play with them, or they're completely shunned from competition.
Part of me thinks this is a ploy by Greek organizations (the only organizations capable of consistently fielding teams) to hold these games hostage.
Why not allow for an individual entry and then throw the competitors onto teams at random? It would allow new students a chance to get to know new people, and it would give those who want to play the chance to compete without having the be a creepy talent scout in the weight room.
It wouldn't cost anything. Heck, it would make money because you could gain another $10-$15 per individual. And people could still enter as teams. They might even get a new recruit to their circle by having people added onto their squad.
It just upsets me that there's a real chance to bring some campus camaraderie and yet the choice being made is to be isolationist. But then what else is new on campus?
Rebellion seating
While I'm on the subject, I got to the UNLV-New Mexico game a few weeks ago. Two. Hours. Early.
My hope was to get into the front rows so that my painted face would intimidate the Lobos by, you know, actually being visible to them.
I was one of the first into the arena, literally getting in seconds after the gates opened at 6 p.m. And yet when I got there, all the rows were filled.
As you can imagine, I was not happy. Chet Buchanan (of the Morning Zoo) said that they had been in the building over an hour and a half before game time.
WTF?!?!
So apparently, being in a super-neato club of friends now warrants people getting in LONG before anyone else can.
This genuinely upsets me, as I intend to be painted up in full Ultimate Warrior-esque paint on Saturday for the San Diego State game. But I apparently can't get seated in the GOOD seats because these Rebellion folk are monopolizing the front-rows' seating.
I can live with the first two rows being reserved by cheerleader parents even though they never fill it. I don't like (but won't start a fight over) people who think that their solo presence can reserve AN ENTIRE FREAKING ROW OF SEATS. But I cannot stand people who cheat the system because they believe they are so superior of fans that no one else can be in the spotlight.
Crazy Alabama radio lady, do you have anything to say about this?
I request that the T&M's management disallow this crap from happening, and I request that the so-called "super-fans" get in line and compete for the front seats like everybody else!
It's all our team, not just yours.
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