Make Them Jealous

If UA wants to continue its success and increase enrollment and build a successful athletic program, it needs to make changes and additions that makes other universities jealous. Jealousy is an excellent marketing tool and UA needs to use it. One of the best ways to capitalize on the jealousy factor is to build a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose basketball arena on the actual UA campus near the stadium and not in downtown Akron. UA is here to build up the region and not the mayor's fat-ass ego.

Also, let go of the "Can't sucks" mentality. It has a backfire effect. We should have the attitude that we couldn't care less about Can't. If I were to see "Univ of Akron Sucks" signs from Can't State, I would think that we have arrived. Indifference is the best insult. Can't Sucks is promoting Can't even if he doesn't realize it.

WKYC story on salary of top 5 university presidents

I saw the channel 3 news story on the pay level of presidents at OSU, UT, UC, UA and one other. I thought the interviewer was a bit of a cheap sensationalist asking why university presidents got paid more than then the president of the United States. Presidents Proenza and Gee handled themselves admirably and made no apologies. The interviewer was particularly obnoxious with Dr. Proenza but Dr. Proenza put him in his place in a most professional way. There are far more CEOs who get paid much much more than Obama and Doc Proenza asked the interviewer to find out what they would say. When the interviewer turned around and asked Proenza, "and they would say what?" Proenza came back with, "I asked you the question, you have a good day my friend."

You go Doc!

UA has a great venue for conerts

I heard someone say the other day that UA has no place for concerts. I responded with, "Don't let Live Nation Hear you say that." This was a student who "claimed" to be on "the program board" at one time and claimed that E.J. Thomas is not meant for concerts and that was why "they" couldn't bring concert to campus. I responded that perhaps he was taking that position so as to have an excuse for not being good at his job on the "program board.".

If E.J. is not meant for concerts, then where was I when I saw Nora Jones, Tran Siberian Orchestra, One Republic, Seather, Colbie Callet, Bob Dylan, Jethro Tull, Stephen Nash, Bruce Sprinstien, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Akron Symphony and many, many more? I could have sworn I saw all of these groups on the University of Akron campus in Thomas Hall.

I've heard this wives’ tale before and it is usually spread by uninformed and gullible UA students who can be convinced to sell their mothers to the pigmies.

The fact is UA built E.J. primarily for concerts and with the versatility to handle Ballets, Speakers and Plays. The confusion sets in when some in Akron's arts community voice their OPINION that Thomas Hall is not very good acoustically for unamplified classical symphonies and orchestras. While there may be some legitimate basis for this claim, it remains just someone's OPINION.

As far as concerts other than classical symphonies and orchestras which are AMPLIFIED, E.J. Thomas Hall is one of the best places in Northern Ohio to attend a concert in. If you haven't tried it, make a point of doing so.

And keep them coming, Live Nation!

new UA arena

If a football stadium located on the southeast end of campus can be dubbed, "downtown", then so can a multi-purpose basketball arena located just east of it. There is more than enough room especially since UA got the land where SkyWay was going to be and it won't disturb a potential Greek Village (that is if there will ever be a Greek Village). It's a win - win. UA gets a true on-campus arena and the mayor and his dinasour groupies can pretend it's downtown just like they pretend InfoCision is downtown.

"University of Akron approves downtown stadium
POSTED: 11:19 a.m. EDT, Aug 01, 2007

The University of Akron board of trustees today approved a plan for a new football stadium, to be built on the southeast corner of campus.

Drawings were unveiled at a press conference shortly before noon.
The stadium would seat 25,000 to 30,000, cost about $55 million and be located a few blocks from the state Route 8 expressway exits to campus. The university will break ground for the Infocision Stadium and Summa Field in October and the facility should be ready for its first game on Sept. 12, 2009 against the University of Kentucky."

Trustees named the facility in honor of the two biggest donors so far. At the request of the donors, UA officials refused to say how much they contributed to the $30 million fund-raising campaign.

http://www.ohio.com/news/8850352.html