Re: Bearcat Nikki

[Katherine R Power]

I think discussing fan support is incredibly on the topic because it is such
a huge problem for UC particularly when some would like to discuss building
new athletic facilities...


I myself had always been super excited to go to UC since I had always
watched the campout coverage on TV, and couldn't wait to become part of the
action and get to go to games instead of watching them on TV... but it's
just such a hassle.  With continually streaming things online, as the
ticketing process is now, the interaction becomes less and less personal.
> From the stories I used to hear.... you'd camp out with your friends, make
new friends, have an all around great time even if it was "miserable"
conditions because you were doing the things that college was all about.
When my friends tried to start camping out for a particular game a few days
in advance, they were asked to leave by the police.  I myself don't find
waking up to get on a computer to login and try to sign in to get tickets to
the Crosstown shootout the most exciting of experiences, definitely no fond
memories to recall from that one except for the website being overloaded and
unable to process my request...

I know in my freshman and sophomore years, the Rallycats meetings that I
went to were absolutely packed in the Club at the Shoe, and in my opinion I
think things are on the way up.  The Den is a nice idea and maybe it will
gain momentum with time, the same principle has obviously been successful at
other schools.  The guys who have been working on that have been really
active and really making some great strides.  I have to stay positive about
the fact that UC is marketing to a broader population of students and with
the conference movement, even though it's going incredibly weak right now
for our men's basketball program, once the program heads back in a winning
direction and key students in leadership roles can work to change the
enthusiasm of the student population we'll be headed to a good place, and
maybe it will be worth talking about arenas and stadiums... (Though I must
say, students really get the shaft for basketball... it's not wholly
exciting to stare into the audience on the corners or into the back of a
pole...) The traditional student is just becoming more and more
nontraditional between full time classes and full time jobs along with
student activities that will benefit their careers and community service
requirements, as well as the fact that the traditional student is taking
more night classes (hence my missing attendance from every Wednesday night
game) and weekend ASAP classes...

For UC to really pick it up something has to change in the culture of the
students and the alumni, and the local news media actually giving us
coverage as opposed so some school up north might be nice too...  who knows
maybe even someday we'll get people to stop sporting the OSU stuff when
they're not from Columbus and they attended the University of Cincinnati...


Another ChiO who's proud to be a Bearcat,

Katie
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