(07-25-2022 07:29 PM)Polish Hammer Wrote: (07-25-2022 06:28 PM)Older and Older Wrote: (07-25-2022 03:27 PM)Proud pilot Wrote: Over the years no funds for stadium improvements. Presently spending $6.5 million to convert ice skating arena to indoor practice facility for the Marching Band. Another example of the clueless administration.
Agree, a travesty. Diacon wants to grow the Marching Band , lots of ways to do that. Find them an hour or two a few times /week in Fieldhouse.
The $6.5 million could have been used as “seed” money for MAC center overhaul. One of the 10 oldest D1, Basketball facilities in the USA.
State will not authorize funds for state Universities for anything but classrooms, labs or HVAC and maintenance in existing buildings .
Unless one of us wins lottery , most of us wont live to see a new facility.
Dix Stadium has also become an embarrassment. Yellow HS grandstand
for student section is one of the worst looking “improvement” ever.
It may be functional but makes the stadium look awful.
Agree with all of that, it’s a crying shame what’s been going on.
All-y'all are wrong.
A marching band is the biggest student organization and the second largest recruiting tool at any university's disposal nationwide, next to football. A university's marching band is to be considered "strong" when it is 1% of a school's total enrollment (including all branches and grad programs). -In Kent's terms, we should have a band of 300.- Our marching band is barely keeping up with Akron. They currently practice on a field that is less than 100 yards and next to a highway.
T/F College marching bands only have music majors. FALSE
College marching bands are mostly made of non-music majors. (RECRUITING) And students travel to the Main Campus that attend regional campuses.
Now that I'm done with the stats for your @ss...
Our past 4 presidents have crapped on the MGF. Carol tried to eliminate the marching band. (Read some of Alumnus Tom Batuik's comics.) In 2019 Warren told the band that they wouldn't go to the bowl game if it was in Idaho or Bahamas.
The MGF has had a new director averaging every 5 years since 1995. Mostly because of facilities, lack of support staff, and non-tenure. The students get 1 class credit for 6 hours of class/practice time. (Not including games or the nights they walk around campus and Downtown before home games.)
MGF's facility... I touched on the field, let's look at CPA. Specifically, the band's practice room, E112. Max capacity 75 people. Projected band enrollment: 175. (Was below 100 pre-pandemic.)
Dix Stadium.... Has anyone gone to a game at OU? I believe some of y'all get envy over Akron for their stadium that the ABJ does a write-up on every 2 years about how the university wasted so much money. A boss I used to work for always says, "no matter how much you polish a horse turd, it's still a horse turd."
Investing the MGF IS an investment in the university. It is a tool. Is anyone sick of hearing about TBDBITL? I am. Is anyone sick of hearing about OU's band? I am.
You want an ice rink? The 80's called, they want their sport back.