Comments from new SGA President

[bcoach]

It's no one's place to govern or scorn an alumni for how they choose to spend their money. We here on this board are the uber passionate minority. I'd say most of us here have season tickets. The ones who don't buy season tickets (aka, apparently, the deadbeats) don't come here and most likely aren't the ones demanding 10k more seats or a track-free Kidd Brewer. So wallet-shaming them on a message board they don't even visit is pointless.

It comes across as "I give more than you so I'm more of a fan than you, na na na, boo boo, I'm a bigger fan than you you".

Well actually it is on this board that we hear about all the wants. With that said if someone is buying tickets they are doing more than the vast majority. I have not read anything about anyone here saying they give more than anyone else. The simple truth though is that if we want more we need to pay for it. I am very satisfied with what we have now but I think that puts me in the minority.

[bcoach]

One is education and the other is entertainment.

And nationwide marketing. And networking. Let's not forget the intrinsic benefits listed four pages ago in this thread.

There are many student fees that have less to do with education than athletics, and no others that contribute more efficiently to the University as a whole. Or maybe you majored in 8 ball, bcoach?

No actually I have been "majoring" in running my business. You know one of those things where you have to take in more than you pay out. You can continue to pitch this marketing idea but it is starting to wear thin. National Championships and Michigan are long forgotten. Football is entertainment. There are much cheaper ways to market. Is there a marketing benefit? Sure is, but football is still entertainment and at this point in time our wants far exceed our means.

[NewApp]

In these fees are many of you taking into account that as a full time ASU student (12 hours, that when you pay fees) You have free tickets into every sporting event and also the ability to buy up to 2 student guest tickets at huge discount? Many other schools make students buy football and basketball season tickets(or individual game tickets) and also enter a lottery to even try and be able to buy tickets. Just throwing that out there to show its hard to compare school to school as each school gives their students different perks.

Is every full time student guaranteed a seat for every home football game free?

[3rd]

In these fees are many of you taking into account that as a full time ASU student (12 hours, that when you pay fees) You have free tickets into every sporting event and also the ability to buy up to 2 student guest tickets at huge discount? Many other schools make students buy football and basketball season tickets(or individual game tickets) and also enter a lottery to even try and be able to buy tickets. Just throwing that out there to show its hard to compare school to school as each school gives their students different perks.

Is every full time student guaranteed a seat for every home football game free?

Yes student tickets are general adm. So you can pick from the hill, temp bleachers, 2 or 3 sections of the "State" side and the "student section" on the App side. They allow general adm. to enter the game until the fire Marshall shuts the gates for everyone. So yes as a full time app student if you walk up to the gates and swipe your app card you can get in.

[bcoach]

In these fees are many of you taking into account that as a full time ASU student (12 hours, that when you pay fees) You have free tickets into every sporting event and also the ability to buy up to 2 student guest tickets at huge discount? Many other schools make students buy football and basketball season tickets(or individual game tickets) and also enter a lottery to even try and be able to buy tickets. Just throwing that out there to show its hard to compare school to school as each school gives their students different perks.

Is every full time student guaranteed a seat for every home football game free?

Yes student tickets are general adm. So you can pick from the hill, temp bleachers, 2 or 3 sections of the "State" side and the "student section" on the App side. They allow general adm. to enter the game until the fire Marshall shuts the gates for everyone. So yes as a full time app student if you walk up to the gates and swipe your app card you can get in.

As they should. The day that we don't have room for a student that student can have my seat.

[Gonzo]

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/opini ... -much.html

This NYT piece bears no mention of athletics fees in its analysis of the rising costs of higher ed.

[1ASU78]

College freshmen are 18 years old.

This is about means, not about age. Sure in the real world people pay for benefits they don't use. But they also (theoretically at least) pay somewhat according to their means. Not so much the case here.

The complaint doesn't seem to be about lack of funds so much as not wanting to pay for something they don't utilize which is why I made the comments I did. Plus, lets not forget they all knew the costs associated with attending App when they agreed to enroll. There are options out there without these fees.

If they need some extra cash nobody is stopping them from getting a PT job, or cutting back spending in other areas to pay for school. I worked 20-30 hours a week while in school to help pay for housing and food costs, and many other have done the same.

and equally the fans could cut back in other ways to pay for their entertainment. That is my main objection. Regardless of whether the fees are just or not the fans are not pulling their weight. We want to move up, we want expansion, we want new track facilities so we can get rid of the track around the field but we don't want to pay for it. The student can get a part time job to pay for it but the adult with a full time job does not? People can keep trying to justify what is going on but it is just plain wrong. The fan base is not supporting the program plain and simple. We kept asking for things and we got them. The administration kept their end of the bargain and the fan base for the MOST part did not. The student are holding up their end and the fan base is not. No amount of trying to justify it is going to change it. The students knew the cost to attend, and that is granted and they paid the full bill. The fan base also knew the cost of the program and they didn't pay the full bill. I am sorry to keep harping on this but somebody just has to be up front about this and say it like it is. We like to say we support our program like nobody else, when in fact the real truth is that we travel well. There is a difference. Every single seat in that stadium should be filled with someone who gives at least the $15 a month that was mentioned earlier. After that is accomplished should be the next time any expansion or track removal is mentioned. Sorry for another rant and it is not directed just at you. We just need to be adults and be responsible for our own entertainment.

You keep saying the fans are not pulling their weight. How are the fans paying Yosef fees and buying season tickets not pulling their, our ,my weight? Those who are members of Yosef and buy season tickets are pulling their weight at the current weight pulling prices. If you think fees and tickets prices should be raised say so. I'm sure some of us fans contributed more in Yosef membership and tickets than the student athletic fee. Some buy more than 1 season ticket. Are you giving more than your fair share to athletes if so I congratulate you. This reminds me of casting the 1st stone. It was mentioned season tickets are down from 08 09 why? That needs to be addressed as well as the alumni who are not Yosef and season ticket holders. All alumni will not choose to pony up just like not all the students will use the LGBT Ctr.

[bcoach]

College freshmen are 18 years old.

This is about means, not about age. Sure in the real world people pay for benefits they don't use. But they also (theoretically at least) pay somewhat according to their means. Not so much the case here.

The complaint doesn't seem to be about lack of funds so much as not wanting to pay for something they don't utilize which is why I made the comments I did. Plus, lets not forget they all knew the costs associated with attending App when they agreed to enroll. There are options out there without these fees.

If they need some extra cash nobody is stopping them from getting a PT job, or cutting back spending in other areas to pay for school. I worked 20-30 hours a week while in school to help pay for housing and food costs, and many other have done the same.

and equally the fans could cut back in other ways to pay for their entertainment. That is my main objection. Regardless of whether the fees are just or not the fans are not pulling their weight. We want to move up, we want expansion, we want new track facilities so we can get rid of the track around the field but we don't want to pay for it. The student can get a part time job to pay for it but the adult with a full time job does not? People can keep trying to justify what is going on but it is just plain wrong. The fan base is not supporting the program plain and simple. We kept asking for things and we got them. The administration kept their end of the bargain and the fan base for the MOST part did not. The student are holding up their end and the fan base is not. No amount of trying to justify it is going to change it. The students knew the cost to attend, and that is granted and they paid the full bill. The fan base also knew the cost of the program and they didn't pay the full bill. I am sorry to keep harping on this but somebody just has to be up front about this and say it like it is. We like to say we support our program like nobody else, when in fact the real truth is that we travel well. There is a difference. Every single seat in that stadium should be filled with someone who gives at least the $15 a month that was mentioned earlier. After that is accomplished should be the next time any expansion or track removal is mentioned. Sorry for another rant and it is not directed just at you. We just need to be adults and be responsible for our own entertainment.

You keep saying the fans are not pulling their weight. How are the fans paying Yosef fees and buying season tickets not pulling their, our ,my weight? Those who are members of Yosef and buy season tickets are pulling their weight at the current weight pulling prices. If you think fees and tickets prices should be raised say so. I'm sure some of us fans contributed more in Yosef membership and tickets than the student athletic fee. Some buy more than 1 season ticket. Are you giving more than your fair share to athletes if so I congratulate you. This reminds me of casting the 1st stone. It was mentioned season tickets are down from 08 09 why? That needs to be addressed as well as the alumni who are not Yosef and season ticket holders. All alumni will not choose to pony up just like not all the students will use the LGBT Ctr.

Let me clarify. the vast majority of fans are not pulling their weight. Look at the number of Yosef members and the number of season tickets and it is a small persentage of the fans at a game. In case you have missed it yes I think we need to raise the price of tickets rather than piling on the backs of students or their parents. Do you expect others to subsidize your concert tickets? Of course you don't. Well football games are entertainment just like a concert.

[diehardapp18]

Haven't read this whole thread but I will say this guy came and spoke to my fraternity chapter last semester and completely won me over. He told us he has no plans of taking anything from athletics, so don't expect a cut he just said he doesn't want to see an increase in the amount we pay too athletics either.

[WVAppsfan]

Love this one " GA isn’t a bad organization by any means,” Howard said. “They’ve been efficient in the past. However, I think they lack perspective from diversity.”As a voting member of the Board of Trustees, Howard says he’ll be able to represent marginalized students. I was the VP of my student body and our goal was to raise awareness for all students, not the marginal ones. And this one as well,

“Culture change is something that is going to have to happen at Appalachian State if we’re increasing diversity,” Howard said. “Even if we don’t want to talk about it, it’s something that needs addressing, and SGA needs to be a strong organization that can facilitate those discussions.”

Just wait for this group, it will be fun to watch.

[WVAppsfan]

Haven't read this whole thread but I will say this guy came and spoke to my fraternity chapter last semester and completely won me over. He told us he has no plans of taking anything from athletics, so don't expect a cut he just said he doesn't want to see an increase in the amount we pay too athletics either.

He won you over? Watch him carefully, I suspect that thee is more below the surface than you know.