(02-11-2018 08:15 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  

(02-09-2018 10:47 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(02-08-2018 08:50 PM)Jerry Weaver Wrote:  One just needs to look at what happened when Appalachian State beat Michigan in football some years ago. New applications to the university exploded!

President Smith seems to have it right. Sports are the "front porch" to any university other than the Ivy league and how many donors are likely to contribute 6 million dollars to the chemistry department like the Power2Change foundation did for EMU sports?

When I went to EMU, Ypsilanti had 2 GM plants, 1 Ford plant, Motorwheel, Norton Industries, etc... all generating high paying jobs and a great local economy. Today those companies are all gone and EMU is the driver of the Ypsilanti economy. Despite his protestations, Howard Bunsis and his accounting department have ZERO chance of impacting anything in a measurable positive manner. Like it or not that is how it is.

Put the shovel in the ground for the Championship Building. It will benefit the state, county, Ypsilanti and yes the accounting department at EMU.

Excellent, Jerry.

You make several very important points:

1). EMU is extremely important to the Ypsilanti area economy.

2). A good chunk of the non-EMU Ypsilanti area economy has been lost due to changes in the manufacturing economy, as was true in many other cities across Michigan.

For EMU the fact remains that we lost a good bit of our local support. Both the local economy and Ypsilanti area population are down. However, because of EMU and Ypsilanti being a 'bedroom community' to Ann Arbor the downturn has been mitigated.

Hopefully financial support for EMU holds up across the country.

Steve I live in Washtenaw County and subsequently I am keenly aware of EMU's increased role with respect to the health of Ypsilanti and the trickle down effect on the area it can have. Like it or not sports are the venue where EMU can truly make the largest and most immediate impact.

Thus this year I decided to make a $5,000 contribution to the Championship Building Plan which will also be matched by the company I recently retired from. I regard it as an investment not only in EMU athletics but in the well being of the county I live in.

Nice work Jerry! I bought my brick last month and am working to help that continue the campaign with friends and alumni.


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