Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Senior Gift Ideas

Monday morning the new UNH Twitter account, @UofNH, submitted the following tweet: "Attn #UNH Seniors! What would you like to leave as your Senior Gift? Let us know your ideas! Please use hashtag #UNHSeniorGift." UNH Class of 2012, this is our chance to leave our mark on this fine institution.

For the past four years, or more for the super and super, super seniors, UNH has provided us with an education to be successful in this devastating and depressing economy. Or at least they have convinced us that we can find jobs out there.

Personally, I'm not so sure. But hey, that's what graduate school is for, right? Delaying the inevitable for another couple years – or however long it takes. There's always mom and dad's basement and managerial positions at McDonalds. How do you say "would you like fries with that" in Spanish?

Anyway, back on topic: The 2012 UNH senior gift. Personally, I don't want to be remembered for a little granite bench or simply contributing to the new Peter T. Paul business school.

I'm a dreamer and I want our gift to be something that we can be proud of, that our state can be proud of and that the university can be proud of. Of course, that might be tough. The state obviously isn't very proud of us at all – I mean, they already cut our funding in half, and I'm willing to bet that the largest newspaper in the state has never written a positive article on UNH.

So what are the major things that UNH is known for? Well, if you read the papers we're known for being a party school, buying lots of beer, having high arrest numbers, disruptive concert crowds, not getting along well with the town of Durham, having poor diversity and race relations, a Greek system that loses a charter seemingly every week, and we have a pretty decent hockey team.

Out of all of those things that UNH is known for, our hockey team and particularly the state-of-the-art Whittemore Center, which is one of the very few Olympic sized rinks in the country, is something to truly be proud of. However, for the Whitt to be truly labeled "state-of-the-art" I believe that it is missing one key feature: a video replay scoreboard. I mean even the decrepit old Alfond Arena up in Orono, Maine, has a video board. Think of how much easier it will be to harass our favorite referees like the Hanson brothers when we have video evidence on our side.
Listen, the orange light bright scoreboard is unique to the Whitt, but it just doesn't do a good enough job. Sure the stick figures are entertaining, but player pictures are basically undecipherable and its technology sophistication is that of a 5-year-old's play toy.

You're probably thinking to yourself, how would this benefit the university as a whole? Well, let me put it this way: what other aspect of UNH draws more attention? The hockey program is nationally known, regularly sells out home games, makes TV appearances, and draws students from across the country as well as internationally. And while a video board may be expensive, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a new football stadium. A replay board could also serve as a visual component to concerts, trade shows and other events held at the Whittemore Center.

If you're not yet sold on the idea of a video replay board there are many other options for the class of 2012's senior gift. This is our chance to come together and give something back to the community for a change. Another common idea could be setting up a scholarship fund for future students from tough economic backgrounds – in this economy and with rising tuition costs, cases like that will only become more likely. Other ideas could be murals, memorials, database subscriptions, specific renovations, and sustainability upgrades such as solar panels.

Bike racks and benches have been done numerous times – lets leave a gift unique to UNH and unique to the class of 2012.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

10 comments:

  1. Uhh...reacher grabber? http://www.juvoproducts.com/reacher-32-pages-20.php

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  2. i'm pretty sure a video board cost way more than what you have in mind. In addition to the gift of the video board, there's also cost of installing the video board and the continuing cost of hiring someone to work it live during games

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  3. Yes it would be expensive, but there are still ways to make something like this happen. Attempt to get matched or additional donations through alumni, a few past players would be an obvious option (talking with JVR?). Make it a multiple year gift, senior gifts from my old town were gifts from several years (Gift of Senior Classes 2012-2015). As per operation costs they're already paying someone to operate that orange board and they could tie it in with some sort of internship if it became a real issue.

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  4. we pay enough in athletic fees that we shouldn't pay more for something else sports-related...

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  5. i know the people the does the sound and board at the games. they don't get paid.....

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  6. why would they not get paid?

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  7. How about a better idea: start a petition to eliminate the hockey and football programs entirely, and save UNH several million dollars a year, for the indefinite future.

    Or do you enjoy those $1000 atheltic fees? Get ready for them to almost double unless cuts to athletics are made. Need more proof? Read the faculty senate minutes...

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  8. The athletics fee is $882. Hockey makes money, the football team comes close to breaking even.

    Also, the athletic department, like every other college, is separate from the university.

    Eliminate hockey? Yeah right. It's the one thing this school does right.

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  9. In defense of the eliminate the programs person, no one likes paying the athletics fee. The money is misused. However, I am all for the hockey and football programs staying where they are including free tickets.I pay the ridiculous fee without a grimace, yet without a smile for these reasons. I do think that getting a video board is a little ridiculous when the money could be put to better use for things like expanding the student gym. Both are a lot of money, so why not put it towards something that more people will use and enjoy.

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  10. None of the atheletic teams "make" money. They are all revenue-negative, to the tune of several million a year from the UNH general fund (e.g. Tuition). They are in no way separate, since their funding comes from the same place: your pocket or your parent's pockets.

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