On Sept. 4, there was an open forum about the role of athleticsat Ball State. Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham said that hehated cutting programs, but it was a "money thing" and out of hishands. Professor Philip Coelho said that the money excuse forcutting those programs was based on a set of financial numbers thatwere poorly analyzed. Professor Jerry Rushton remarked that bycutting these programs we were moving backward, in our quest foreducational and athletic diversity at Ball State.
The sad part was that after all the feelings of outrage anddisappointment generated this summer over those cuts, less thanfifty people showed up. In a community of 18,000 students, 836faculty members, 3,497 university employees, and 130,093 alumni,only about 0.03 percent of our community seemed to care. It seemsto be the same old story: apathy.
It's a sad story, and one day it maybe used to allow thisadministration to take a program or class you think is importantaway.
During the panel's discussions, little was said about how toforce the administration to reopen this question, but with only 50people even showing up, the real problem was once again overlooked.Community members did not stand up and demand their rights, nordoes it look like they will.
Their rights as a member of this community were violated whenPresident Blaine Brownell did not follow the athletic committee andsenate's recommendation to take more time for investigation of theproblem. That recommendation would have allowed more interactionand helped build the needed support to legitimize the action forthe community. When President Brownell refused to allow that extratime, he showed little respect for the feelings and hopes of acommunity he should be serving. The action to cut the programs mayhave been financially needed, but the procedure used had a smellabout it.
With each passing day, new challenges and problems will force usto re-evaluate what is in the best interest of this university andthe community it needs to survive. Those problems and challengesmust be addressed by all of us working together. The simple factis, as much as it may choke some of you, it will take all of us tomake it work.
The soul and goals of this university cannot just be in thehands of the administration and the trustees. If that is allowed,then the death of educational diversity at Ball State will not befrom a hidden assassin's single bullet. It will be a slow painfulextinction caused by apathy, indifference and undernourishment.
We each have to believe and care about what is happening. Wehave to petition, protest and demand that the president, thetrustees, and the governor fully understand that we are and willcontinue to be an active part of this university.
If you do not believe that this institution should always striveto set the highest standards in educational diversity, then,friends, we are all wasting our time and worse, our money. Withoutthose types of standards, this place is just a very expensive bedand breakfast with an apprenticeship program attached.
What do you think? See you next week.
Write to Eric at eerichardson@bsu.edu
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