by Cheryl Price
As all of us over here in the residence halls are busily preparing for Casino Night this weekend, it has yet again occurred to me that alumni, faculty and staff are just not involved in very many UH traditions and events. True, there are a few old die-hards who come out every Homecoming, but, by and large, most are uninvolved and many are just uninterested.
It hasn't always been this way. For example, the Casino Night tradition is more than 25 years old.
Faculty and alumni used to come to dealer rehearsal to brush up on gambling skills AND come to the program. Many were active in the program itself, providing prizes, entertainment or just manpower. Others would take the patrons of the program's benefactor, Camp Cougar, and help them place bets while reminiscing about when they used to deal cards. Calls to buy tickets would start coming in weeks before the program. The involvement is nowhere near that high today. I've seen many long-time UH traditions face the same predicament.
It's not that we don't have a fairly decent alumni program. It is very active, but mostly in its own programs and interests. There just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of alumni-student mixing going on around here.
Faculty and staff complain they are too underpaid and overbooked to participate in student efforts. But does it cost that much money and effort to catch a performance at the School of Music? A concert from the Student Program Board? A cultural demonstration from the Council of Ethnic Organizations? There are so many programs that are long-time traditions -- Alpha Pi Alpha's Black and Gold Pageant; the Honors College's College Bowl; the Chinese Student Organization's China Night; Delta Gamma's Great Duck Race; the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Alliance's national Coming Out Rally; the Residence Halls Association's Casino Night, to name a few -- that could really benefit from the support of more faculty, staff and alumni.
Good school spirit and image doesn't only come from students. When was the last time you saw one of your professors wearing a UH shirt? Attending an event that wasn't mandated by his/her department?
Can you name even one that could sing our alma mater from memory? When was the last time you saw alumni at a seminar or other event that didn't involve athletics or job placement? Or a top-level UH administrator at any event listed above?
The problem is twofold. The faculty, staff and alumni need to take a more proud and active role in UH. We as students need to encourage, challenge and expect this from them.
I'm running a little unofficial side pool for Casino Night this weekend on how many faculty, staff and alumni will show up who aren't directly involved in the program. I tell takers the same thing I tell those in the auction for prizes: expect high, bid low.
Price is a senior hotel restaurant management major.