Hartz: Athletics Department ignores concerns
We should go crazy for football because, after all, we only have two sports teams (football and competitive parking).
By Jenny Hartz (Contact)
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
Recently, the KU Athletics Department admitted they are unable to replace all the parking spots they displaced with the construction of the Anderson Family Complex south of Memorial Stadium.
I’m an English major, so I was glad that The Kansan article “Lots vanish during construction of complex” did the math for me on exactly how many spots we’re losing:
667 total spots lost
227 spots replaced
218 spots to be replaced once construction is finished (probably around May 2050)
222 spots vanished without a trace (the Athletics Department is claiming alien abduction)
Besides breaking its promise, the thing that makes me mad is the Athletics Department and Design and Construction Management Department are acting like they had no idea this would be a problem.
Apparently, using a highly technological process that involves much precision and know-how, a process called “using our eyes and looking around,” the Athletics Department and DCM had no idea that there was no room for additional parking on campus.
We should totally believe them. After all, in April 2005, they had a professional parking consultant tell the University that parking was not adequate, and this was before the football practice fields project had been proposed.
Associate athletics director Jim Marchiony is quoted as saying, in regards to parking, “I’ve never really heard anyone complain about it.”
That’s funny. I attack the lack parking on this campus (and Ugg boots) about every other column. But Ugg boots have never promised me to be anything but ugly, and they’ve kept their promise.
We only have about five comments about parking in the Free For All every week.
We can completely understand why the Athletics Department sees parking as a non-issue.
One of the Athletics Department’s current suggestions to help solve the parking dilemma is to move the track and throwing fields, which makes total sense.
We should do everything we can for football because, after all, we only have two sports teams (football and competitive parking) on campus right?
If there isn’t any room for parking, where are we going to have room to move the throwing fields?
Excuse my lack of track expertise, having only participated in it throughout high school, but shouldn’t you have your track near your field and not in, say, an adjacent state?
Isn’t our track inside Memorial Stadium? Where are we going to put it? Inside Wescoe? It would make that building a lot easier to get around.
This isn’t the only time that the Athletics Department has infringed on student parking.
Think about every time there is a home basketball game. It is next to impossible to find parking anywhere near where you have class, a test, or a job.
I’m personally tired of the Athletics Department trying to control campus with no regard to how inconvenient it is for students, who, last time I checked, were paying up the wazoo to earn degrees of higher education, not higher sports rankings.
It amazes me how ignorant they are of campus issues. It seems to me that if it doesn’t involve an Adidas contract or a revenue increase, they are blissfully unaware.
To help the Athletics Department know how students feel about the parking issue and any other injustices you may have encountered (trying to buy tickets for any game, not being able to buy KU merchandise from other companies because the Athletics Department tries to copyright everything, being attacked on campus by squirrels trained to attack anyone who has not given athletics money, etc.), here is a way to let the Athletics Department know how you feel:
Jim Marchiony: (785) 864-3359
Lew Perkins: (785) 864-3143
Go ahead. Give the Athletics Department a call.
As its mission statement says on its Web site, it is devoted to “Unparalleled Excellence.”
Let’s make sure we help them keep this promise.
Jenny Hartz is a Stilwell junior in creative writing.
Discussion
All comments are moderated by Kansan.com staff. For our full user policy, click here.
So Jenny, you continue to say negative things about UGG boots. You're entitled to your opinion, but you just seem so harsh! Easy.
Ibrahim
www.IGotUGGs.com
It is sad that the Daily Kansan, one of the greatest student run papers in the country, would continue to let someone as uneducated as yourself continue to publish these uneducated columns. In typical Kansan form you have taken a quote out of context and based your article on it. Mr. Marchiony has said that he has never heard there being a problem in that particular parking lot. You have taken his comment out of context and applied it to all parking spaces on campus. Second you blame the athletic department for gameday parking. Those lots are still controlled by your parking department and athletics does not see that revenue. Maybe the parking department should stop being so greedy and not let non passholding individuals park in YOUR lots. Finally, I always find it comical that everyone complains about athletics but never gives it credit for what it does for the University. Do you think anyone would know we were the Jayhawks without our sports teams? Do you think anyone would buy that apparel that you are looking for all over town without our sports teams? Hell, do you think any advertisers would purchase space in YOUR paper if it wasn't for the coverage of our schools sports teams? Because minus the free for all and the crosswords nobody would read it. This article is not surprising but still dissapointing for such a high class paper.
but jayhawkeye, can't you see that you've read the paper for something other than the free for all and crossword?
And you said that the kansan is a great paper and that taking quotes out of context is typical of the kansan. Which is it? Is the kansan great or are they constantly taking things our of context?
It is a great student paper. I challenge you to find a larger one in the country. That being said it is obvious that a few of their reporters are struggling to provide accurate information. And yes I do read the paper for more than those things but I am the minority and the majority of the time I look for articles like this as I care about this issue.
Share your 2¢
Requires free registration.