UA in the news

[MaxZIP]

UA gets its 150,000th graduate. Conveniently happening during its 200th commencement ceremony. You would think the university would have more alumni over 140 years of existence.

I think it is really convenient that the student is from Saudi Arabia, married and has 2 kids. It just happens to be a student with a story to trump up as a commencement speech. It couldn’t have been a kid from stow living in the valley with a 2.8 GPA.

[scottditzen]

Wow you are right....that number does seem ridiculously low.

Of all my close friends who went to Akron- maybe 20 people, only 2 didn't graduate and 1 transfered. Pretty amazing statistic. It would seem to indicate the vast majority of current students are future dropouts or transferees!

UA gets its 150,000th graduate. Conveniently happening during its 200th commencement ceremony. You would think the university would have more alumni over 140 years of existence.

[ZachTheZip]

EJ Thomas Hall is an incredible waste of money. Dump the high-brow crap completely and start bringing in weekly shows for the students.

Also, The UPA head guy has a new plan.

[ksu sucks]

EJ Thomas Hall is an incredible waste of money. Dump the high-brow crap completely and start bringing in weekly shows for the students.

What? You mean students won't pay to watch Oliver!?

How about Black Violin? At least they don't beat around the bush...

[tbozeglav]

Ive been in EJ twice in the 3 years Ive been there. I have had absolutely no desire to see anything there. What musicians they DO bring in are has-beens from 3 years ago, no names, or genres a very small percentage of the student body would be willing to see.

What EJ needs to focus on is bringing in talents in other areas aside from plays and these lame "concerts". EJ is the WRONG venue for concerts. I don't know about you guys, but I like to stand during my concerts, not sit. Love it or hate it, EJ isn't a place condusive to those events. Concerts need to be held in the JAR if they want any chance of bringing in good names and getting students to come. There's one thing that EJ could do that would bring in good crowds: COMEDIANS. Students love them as do the general public.

[Zipmeister]

Ive been in EJ twice in the 3 years Ive been there. I have had absolutely no desire to see anything there. What musicians they DO bring in are has-beens from 3 years ago, no names, or genres a very small percentage of the student body would be willing to see.

What EJ needs to focus on is bringing in talents in other areas aside from plays and these lame "concerts". EJ is the WRONG venue for concerts. I don't know about you guys, but I like to stand during my concerts, not sit. Love it or hate it, EJ isn't a place condusive to those events. Concerts need to be held in the JAR if they want any chance of bringing in good names and getting students to come. There's one thing that EJ could do that would bring in good crowds: COMEDIANS. Students love them as do the general public.

Right on zipsMan. I don't want to one up you cause you have a legitimate beef for sure, but you actually have it pretty good. When I was in school they actually had the nerve to bring in some has-beens from 5 (yes I said it, FIVE) years ago!

[yazan07]

Well someone must have listened to the complaint regarding not enough performers directed at college age students, because Daniel Tosh is going to be at EJ in November. His show sold out and they had to add a second show. Performers like THAT are what EJ needs. I will be interested to see what kind of profit his show turns out.

[akzipper]

I just saw on ticketmaster Daniel Tosh will be at EJ, and that is the biggest name of the year. I'd say about 90% of college students know who he is, and if you don't he has a show on Comedy Central that is hilarious. He show Tosh.0 is basically just him making fun of internet clips, so I'm not sure how that will translate to stand-up. But it would definitely be worth going.

EJ is a great place and I just can never understand WHY CSU and rinky-dink schools can bring in mainstream acts and we get Nora Jones and Colbie Calait. We have RHPB but they spend most of their time bringing in the same comedians year after year with the same exact jokes year after year. I understand they probably work hard, but I really wish they could refocus on bringing in say 2-3 big acts a year, instead of 10 or so mediocre comedians and hypnotists. I understand those are free events, but I know that students will pay to see someone they like. I hear about friends going up to Cleveland all the time to see shows, which means they are willing to drive all the way there and pay for tickets. Why wouldn't they want to go watch a good show on their own campus?

[ZachTheZip]

Well someone must have listened to the complaint regarding not enough performers directed at college age students, because Daniel Tosh is going to be at EJ in November. His show sold out and they had to add a second show. Performers like THAT are what EJ needs. I will be interested to see what kind of profit his show turns out.

Whether it makes any money is dependent on how well they market this.Simply having a sign up for a week outside the entrance to EJ Thomas won't do. There needs to be something in both the student union and Polsky.

[ZachTheZip]

22 Exchange is nearly complete. they predict 100% occupancy by the end of the week. All that's left is to fill out the store fronts. A convenience store would be ideal, and probably a cash cow.

[bandzip]

I just saw on ticketmaster Daniel Tosh will be at EJ, and that is the biggest name of the year. I'd say about 90% of college students know who he is, and if you don't he has a show on Comedy Central that is hilarious. He show Tosh.0 is basically just him making fun of internet clips, so I'm not sure how that will translate to stand-up. But it would definitely be worth going.

EJ is a great place and I just can never understand WHY CSU and rinky-dink schools can bring in mainstream acts and we get Nora Jones and Colbie Calait. We have RHPB but they spend most of their time bringing in the same comedians year after year with the same exact jokes year after year. I understand they probably work hard, but I really wish they could refocus on bringing in say 2-3 big acts a year, instead of 10 or so mediocre comedians and hypnotists. I understand those are free events, but I know that students will pay to see someone they like. I hear about friends going up to Cleveland all the time to see shows, which means they are willing to drive all the way there and pay for tickets. Why wouldn't they want to go watch a good show on their own campus?

Didn't Colbie Calait and Nora Jones both sell out? Same with Chevelle with Finger 11 and other small acts. The reason they can't bring in bigger names is because they sell out larger venues, so they charge more, which makes places like EJ with 3,000 seats or whatever it is lose money, especially when they can easily play at places like the Wolstein Center or Blossom right up the road. If they're having money issues they need to bring in more acts like that that, stuff that will sell out without breaking the bank. Even the JAR is too small to have a "Big Name" concert. Now the Info on the other hand....

[TommyZ]

I just saw on ticketmaster Daniel Tosh will be at EJ, and that is the biggest name of the year. I'd say about 90% of college students know who he is, and if you don't he has a show on Comedy Central that is hilarious. He show Tosh.0 is basically just him making fun of internet clips, so I'm not sure how that will translate to stand-up. But it would definitely be worth going.

EJ is a great place and I just can never understand WHY CSU and rinky-dink schools can bring in mainstream acts and we get Nora Jones and Colbie Calait. We have RHPB but they spend most of their time bringing in the same comedians year after year with the same exact jokes year after year. I understand they probably work hard, but I really wish they could refocus on bringing in say 2-3 big acts a year, instead of 10 or so mediocre comedians and hypnotists. I understand those are free events, but I know that students will pay to see someone they like. I hear about friends going up to Cleveland all the time to see shows, which means they are willing to drive all the way there and pay for tickets. Why wouldn't they want to go watch a good show on their own campus?

Didn't Colbie Calait and Nora Jones both sell out? Same with Chevelle with Finger 11 and other small acts. The reason they can't bring in bigger names is because they sell out larger venues, so they charge more, which makes places like EJ with 3,000 seats or whatever it is lose money, especially when they can easily play at places like the Wolstein Center or Blossom right up the road. If they're having money issues they need to bring in more acts like that that, stuff that will sell out without breaking the bank. Even the JAR is too small to have a "Big Name" concert. Now the Info on the other hand....

Yes Colbie Calait, Nora Jones, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Steely Dan (two shows) all sold out. I remember tickets for these events ranged between $30 and $65 per (Calait being the least expensive and Jones and Dan being the most expensive) My tickets for Nora Jones and Steelye Dan were around $55 and $60 dollars. These concerts by no means lost money. They in fact created a net profit for the promoter between $250,000 and $600,00 (conservative estimate). While UA did not reap any of these profits, it also did not lose money on these concerts. So shows other than "high brow" "blue hair" events do make money in Thomas Hall even if the profit is not reaped by UA. My point is that high brow stuff is almost designed to lose. This is a fact all over the country and is no surprise to UA or its E.J. The arts are a losing venture for the most part in this country and that is just the reality. Keep in mind EJ's Budget is almost completely made op of UA student fees and the hall knowing spends and loses those dollars on programming geared to the non-UA student. As a student, if the hall is going to lose my money no matter what, at least it could lose it over shows that I as a UA student would want to see.

Dan Dahl's desire to see UA foundation money "diverted" to E.J. is a dishonest position on his part. He knows that UA foundation dollars are meant to be earmarked to specific campus efforts and that no one in high places at UA including Dr. Proenza has the authority to "divert" funds from the many specified accounts at the UA foundation. There is nothing stoping Mr. Dahl from creating such an earmarked account within the foundation or from stepping up efforts to fund his "Flying Balcony Club". He is the managing director. He has the authority and obligation to do just that or to create an endowment for the hall like any responsible director does. He's been at this job for over 15 years in all now and the hall is nearly 40 years old. I know of animal shelters who have better fiduciary standards and practices than this sacred cow on UA's campus.

BTW, stage door shows and local rock bands on the hall's pation w/hot dogs and pizza impress no thinking UA student and neither do silly Halloween parties. Anyone can see that these efoorts are desperate acts of tokenism that serve no more than 1 or 2% of UA's student body. The only things Thomas Hall has provided the UA student body over the past 39 years are excuses. IT IS NOT A CAN'T DO SITUATION. IT IS A WON'T DO SITUATION.

[ksu sucks]

On a lighter note...

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/100939559.html

Along the way, UA's enrollment has climbed, with this fall's figure estimated at more than 29,000 — 6 percent more than the previous year. As enrollment has grown, so has the demand for on-campus housing.

[ZachTheZip]

The new parking garage opens tomorrow. So avoid driving near there at all costs.

[akzipper]

The new parking garage opens tomorrow. So avoid driving near there at all costs.

Why would someone not want to drive near there?

on a side note, why are the new Ak-rowdies shirts black? Did we switch our school colors and were never informed? I think it was a terrible choice, but I would be interested to know the meaning behind that. We must be setting ourselves up for a black-out game or something. Would work if a.) Our teams wore black uniforms, but they don't b.) Stores actually sold black Zips apparel, but they don't c.) Can't State didn't wear black, but they do

[RootforRoo44]

Ive been in EJ twice in the 3 years Ive been there. I have had absolutely no desire to see anything there. What musicians they DO bring in are has-beens from 3 years ago, no names, or genres a very small percentage of the student body would be willing to see.

What EJ needs to focus on is bringing in talents in other areas aside from plays and these lame "concerts". EJ is the WRONG venue for concerts. I don't know about you guys, but I like to stand during my concerts, not sit. Love it or hate it, EJ isn't a place condusive to those events. Concerts need to be held in the JAR if they want any chance of bringing in good names and getting students to come. There's one thing that EJ could do that would bring in good crowds: COMEDIANS. Students love them as do the general public.

The university usual brings in plenty of very good comedians each year. Daniel Tosh this year is eh but ive seen plenty of top notch comedians in the Union that have been real talents from Gotham or Comedy Central.

[ZachTheZip]

UA's F1 racing team recruiting new members

[yazan07]

The new parking garage opens tomorrow. So avoid driving near there at all costs.

Why would someone not want to drive near there?

on a side note, why are the new Ak-rowdies shirts black? Did we switch our school colors and were never informed? I think it was a terrible choice, but I would be interested to know the meaning behind that. We must be setting ourselves up for a black-out game or something. Would work if a.) Our teams wore black uniforms, but they don't b.) Stores actually sold black Zips apparel, but they don't c.) Can't State didn't wear black, but they do

I'm pretty sure the reasoning for making the shirts black this year is because they try to change the color of the shirt every year. There has pretty much been a pattern of every two years having blue shirts and every year in between having a different color. They had gold one year and those were ugly. Two years ago they had white ones, which I actually liked. They just did blue last year, so I think they wanted to try something different. Black is a neutral color, so it's not bad. It's better than the bright pink some of the board members were saying they would be haha

[ZachTheZip]

New place to eat opens up near campus: The Pita Pit

[johnnyzip84]

Nice pub for the flagship research program in US News & World Report.

Link

[ZachTheZip]

Akron secured $6 million for the Corrosion Engineering program.

I really do hope they get this off the ground. They can take the "rust" out of the "rust belt". Akron would the at the center of a renewal of the entire region.

[johnnyzip84]

Akron secured $6 million for the Corrosion Engineering program.

I really do hope they get this off the ground. They can take the "rust" out of the "rust belt". Akron would the at the center of a renewal of the entire region.

Here is the Beacon's story on the corrosion grant.

Link

[ZachTheZip]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton...ron-800893.html

The new psychology archives will have some historically significant artifacts on display. Very creepy artifacts, if you know the history behind them.

[ZachTheZip]

A much more in-depth article than the one I linked above.

Opening this to the public in a nice, easily-accessible, dedicated building instead of being a little archive in a corner of an old academic building is a very good thing for the university and the city.

[ZachTheZip]

ABJ article on the Psychology archives. It's kind of a big deal.

What impressed me is that it got done without UA spending a single penny. Completely paid for through donations and grants.