Two University of Minnesota Disappointments Today

Two things happened today that irritated and disappointed me, and unfortunately, neither is unexpected. First, I went to the Bookstore in Coffman Union today in search of some Dance Team swag. I made a New Year's resolution that I was going to purchase non-football related UMN gear. I searched high and low and only found one Dance Team t-shirt (and it was a super generic design). When I asked, sure enough, that was all there was. Now if you want football or basketball gear, there are several designs and color combinations to choose from. And not only are there t-shirts, but sweatshirts, hats, caps, you name it.

Now I understand the whole idea of market economics and that some sports related gear is going to sell better than others. But the fact that there is only one t-shirt option is ridiculous. And not only for the Dance Team, but Swimming and Diving, Cross Country, Track, Golf, and several other University sponsored teams also only had a single t-shirt available in pretty much the same stupid generic design. How can a public university condone that?

The sad part is that this is completely not unexpected. And I have been a part of the problem...I bought football gear. I guess I will check with Goldy's Locker Room.

The second thing that was disappointing today was reading President Kaler's response to Trump's executive order. Sure, he said that the U would stand with its students and remain steadfast, but what a missed opportunity. Compare that to the language Macalester's president used, "these orders are cowardly and cruel. They make a mockery of the claim that we are a country of generosity and decency." Again, the sad part is that I have come to expect the lethargy and non-commital type of commitment that Kaler brings to governing the university. And it's not just Kaler. The Board of Regents and many other administrators give off the same kind of energy.

For all its talk about wanting to be a leader and a top 3 research university, the University of Minnesota sure doesn't act like a leader. They tend to move with the herd rather than picking up the reigns and leading the herd. We should change the motto from "Ski-U-Mah" to "Don't Rock the Boat". Maybe P.J. Fleck can adopt that as his new motto.