Amidst the game day haze, between the criss-cross wave and Jump Around, fans looking to the Camp Randall Stadium jumbotron may have seen a video from the UW Athletic Department.
In this video, student-athletes thank everyone for the financial support given to the Badger program, enabling the use of world-class facilities and a healthy nutritional program.
A thank you is a thank you. The intentions of the video appear good-hearted, but unfortunately the execution left the audience with an uncomfortable and annoyed feeling.
Higher education affordability is on the minds of many students and parents in the crowd on any given game day. The prominence, both financially and socially of athletics—which is a whole different subject that warrants a different conversation—is a sensitive area as well.
What does not ease these tensions is a clip of two student-athletes playing ping pong while thanking the crowd for their financial support to fund such facilities.
Given the current problems of tuition, student loans and affordable housing, the broadcasting of these world-class facilities is being done in an insensitive fashion.
There are better ways to show this gratitude to the people who make it all possible. A simpler, “Thank you for all the support,” without explicitly mentioning more than once the world-class, bordering exorbitant facilities would not cross fans in the same fashion.
Another cause for the discomfort stems from the funding in general.
While student-athletes have access to their world-class facilities, many students would be right to ask “What about me?” Between the crumbling infrastructure of the Natatorium, the SERF and the Shell, our options pale in comparison.
But the passage of the Rec Sports Master Plan last spring should correct these worries, right?
Not necessarily.
The updates to the university’s exercise facilities go a long way toward correcting the issue, but at what cost to the students? The most obvious problem students will face is the increase in their segregated fees.
Overall, student’s will be footing 57 percent of the bill for the new facilities while the Athletic Department will contribute 3 percent. After seeing what the athletes have and seeing videos boasting their new, nearly $125 million facilities coupled with their newly approved $133 million budget, as students, it’s difficult to accept the lack of participation by the Athletic Department.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank, in an open email to Madison students, likened the Athletic Department increasing their financial contribution to “asking the physics department to pay for improvements in chemistry, just because they both study science.”
This oversimplification does a disservice to the students. What if the physics department uses the chemistry facilities on a regular basis and does not allow chemistry students to use them at that time?
Or, what if the chemistry students bailed the physics department out of a projected $1.5 million deficit like in 1989, when the Athletic Department was under financial duress and student segregated fees covered the deficits?
This is not directly a critique of the Rec Sports Master Plan. That ship has sailed. We understand they are world class facilities.
However, the Athletic Department should clue in to the pulse of the student body when expressing its gratitude.
What did you think of the Athletic Department’s video? Did the message come across as was intended? Send your thoughts to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
