Is the Stroh Center in jeopardy of not being built???

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:11 am

I know we have some people who frequent this board often who are connected through the university and have a very good understanding of what occurs on campus, so my question is geared towards you all. Is the Stroh Center in jeopardy of not being built after all? It seems that ever since the Kent State game I attended last year about this time a year ago, everything pointed in favor of the facility. The incredible gift by the Stroh family and others were announced, fundraising seemed good, the design of the facility was settled on, the location was picked out, a statue was to be placed by the new facility, etc.

However, I have also been trying to follow the progress through the BG News in recent weeks. I'm not sure how many of you are aware of what's been going on recently, but it's worth looking into if not. I’m aware of the USG’s decision at the end of February, but since then, I have read nothing but topics concerning protest, a referendum, petitioning for an appeal, etc. It appears now the issue is going to meet the standards to go back to a student wide vote to my understanding.

This leads me to the question for this thread. Is the Stroh Center in jeopardy of not being built after all? If the student vote reverses the decision made earlier by USG, does this facility still more forward? Could the facility be grounded all together? I am trying to better understand this process and would be much appreciative of any further information.

PGY Tiercel · Post by **PGY Tiercel** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:38 am

Since when did students get to decide whether they should pay fees? USG voted in favor of supporting the fee (meaning they think it is a good idea). It wasn't a vote to give the university permission to asses the fee. Just the same, all the referendum vote would do is say that the students don't want to be charged, but it won't bar the university from charging it.

Peregrinner · Post by **Peregrinner** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:58 am

As I understand it, there is a section of the USG constitution that allows for a referendum if a petition is filed with 5% of the students supporting the referendum. In the event that they get enough signatures, the petition would go to USG to be processed. If enough signatures are verified, it would have to go to a campus-wide vote within 15 days, which would be done online. Then, in order for the fee not to be added, the referendum would have to have the participation of at least 10% of the student body and get a majority of those to vote no on the fee.

http://www.sent-trib.com/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=81

guest44 · Post by **guest44** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:07 am

$50 = 10 footlongs

$50 = 1 pair of jeans

$50 = 15 days of Blackberry service.

h2oville rocket · Post by **h2oville rocket** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:08 pm

guest44 wrote:$50 = 10 footlongs

$50 = 1 pair of jeans

$50 = 15 days of Blackberry service.

You paid $5 for a footlong?

Peregrinner · Post by **Peregrinner** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:12 pm

For the cost of a couple of cases of beer a year...

It's the Journey... · Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:39 pm

Am I the only person on here who sees nothing wrong with this whole issue? You have a group of students who are not happy with a decision made by their governing body. This group of students has done research and found they had options available to them. They are working within the system to reverese a decision they see as wrong. Why is that so bad? Isn't this what college is supposed to be about? And, if they are successful, isn't this a great lesson in representative government? I'm all for the Stroh Center so don't think that I am not. And I don't think this referendum will pass. But let's find the positive in the situation. My father-in-law graduated from BG with his bachelors, masters, and PhD. When we talk about his time at the University he speaks of a campus overflowing with activism. I'm sure the time he was at BG (Vietnam and the Kent State shootings) had much to do with that but i'm happy to see apathy has not taken total control of BGSU.

Peregrinner · Post by **Peregrinner** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:51 pm

Student involvement is great. I have nothing against people asking for a referendum.

Here are my issues with the group that demonstrated yesterday, though:

Many of the students involved with the protest yesterday were saying the referendum is needed because they were never contacted directly by their USG senators asking for their personal opinions. That's ridiculous. It's also not how the system is supposed to work. USG senator contact information is available on their website. There was a USG forum about the Stroh Center. Articles were published in the BG News, on the athletics website, and on the BGSU website about the Stroh Center. These students had plenty of opportunity to "let their voices be heard" about the issue. They chose apathy. Now they're mad and a couple of limelight-seeking students have taken it upon themselves to be the spokespeople of a "Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" group of people.

Many of the people supporting and promoting the referendum did so with half-truths or sometimes outright lies. One particular member of the petition group, someone any BGSU women's basketball fan knows quite well, was telling a news reporter that the Stroh fee "could be in place for 30, 50, even 100 years. They may never take it off once they get it." That's a problem. If they had done research and promoted with facts, that would have been great, but they didn't, they lied to people to get them to sign.

At least a few of the students had signs that read "F USG" and "USG can S my D". Classy. Intelligent. Educated. That's exactly the kind of image of BGSU students we want being broadcast on the nightly news all across the greater-Toledo area, right?

Furthermore, people were out there disrespecting the donation, the wishes, and the overall contributions of the Stroh family. I'm not trying to say a referendum is necessarily doing all of those things, but the arguments being made in favor of it were.

Lastly, there was little or no emphasis put on accurate reporting of the overall situation. The group was trying to whip up a frenzy by saying that BGSU was ignoring other campus buildings, academic needs, and scholarships, when that's downright false. There is a ton of money going to all sorts of facilities and scholarship purposes, not to mention that it's a completely different budget/issue.

I don't know. Maybe I got off track here, but I've had just about enough of the big, bald, squeaky wheel taking every shot he can at a University that is paying in full for a year's worth of his education right now, and doing so with complete BS tactics and 'information.'

BGFalconfromCincy · Post by **BGFalconfromCincy** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:12 pm

Peregrinner wrote:Student involvement is great. I have nothing against people asking for a referendum.

Here are my issues with the group that demonstrated yesterday, though:

Many of the students involved with the protest yesterday were saying the referendum is needed because they were never contacted directly by their USG senators asking for their personal opinions. That's ridiculous. It's also not how the system is supposed to work. USG senator contact information is available on their website. There was a USG forum about the Stroh Center. Articles were published in the BG News, on the athletics website, and on the BGSU website about the Stroh Center. These students had plenty of opportunity to "let their voices be heard" about the issue. They chose apathy. Now they're mad and a couple of limelight-seeking students have taken it upon themselves to be the spokespeople of a "Help! Help! I'm being repressed!" group of people.

Many of the people supporting and promoting the referendum did so with half-truths or sometimes outright lies. One particular member of the petition group, someone any BGSU women's basketball fan knows quite well, was telling a news reporter that the Stroh fee "could be in place for 30, 50, even 100 years. They may never take it off once they get it." That's a problem. If they had done research and promoted with facts, that would have been great, but they didn't, they lied to people to get them to sign.

At least a few of the students had signs that read "F USG" and "USG can S my D". Classy. Intelligent. Educated. That's exactly the kind of image of BGSU students we want being broadcast on the nightly news all across the greater-Toledo area, right?

Furthermore, people were out there disrespecting the donation, the wishes, and the overall contributions of the Stroh family. I'm not trying to say a referendum is necessarily doing all of those things, but the arguments being made in favor of it were.

Lastly, there was little or no emphasis put on accurate reporting of the overall situation. The group was trying to whip up a frenzy by saying that BGSU was ignoring other campus buildings, academic needs, and scholarships, when that's downright false. There is a ton of money going to all sorts of facilities and scholarship purposes, not to mention that it's a completely different budget/issue.

I don't know. Maybe I got off track here, but I've had just about enough of the big, bald, squeaky wheel taking every shot he can at a University that is paying in full for a year's worth of his education right now, and doing so with complete BS tactics and 'information.'

I have said it before and I'll say it again, you sir are either the smartest person on campus, or the only one who really knows what the hell is going on

BGFalconfromCincy · Post by **BGFalconfromCincy** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:17 pm

One problem I have with how the people have come across are they keep saying "this isn't about the Stroh Center, it abouts having our voices heard" and yet they have people with them bashing the Stroth's and the donation. Gotta pick a side there, are you pissed about the fee or the donation/new arena, and if you are siding with the donation/new arena then where were you a year ago when it was announced. This issue should be about the fee, not the Stroh's or their donation

Tech83 · Post by **Tech83** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:30 pm

BGFalconfromCincy wrote:
I have said it before and I'll say it again, you sir are either the smartest person on campus, or the only one who really knows what the hell is going on

Or is it the fumes he inhaled last year when he was Freddie..... My understanding is that you're issued a case of Febreze along with the costume

BGFalconfromCincy wrote:One problem I have with how the people have come across are they keep saying "this isn't about the Stroh Center, it abouts having our voices heard" and yet they have people with them bashing the Stroth's and the donation. Gotta pick a side there, are you pissed about the fee or the donation/new arena, and if you are siding with the donation/new arena then where were you a year ago when it was announced. This issue should be about the fee, not the Stroh's or their donation

Well sorta...... I'll be the devil's advocate for a second..... I do have an issue with a former Trustee of the institution donating money and it going towards athletics. I would prefer our Trustees to be focused on academics and quality of life (dining and residence halls - student unions - and so on) I can honestly tell you that I was in AA maybe 4 times as a student - two of those for concerts. (Jefferson Starship with April Wine and The Michael Stanley Band). I was in the library DAILY.

I guess my point being is that, of course there are going to be a number of students upset with the Stroh Fee.......

Peregrinner · Post by **Peregrinner** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:33 pm

Tech83 wrote:Well sorta...... I'll be the devil's advocate for a second..... I do have an issue with a former Trustee of the institution donating money and it going towards athletics. I would prefer our Trustees to be focused on academics and quality of life (dining and residence halls - student unions - and so on) I can honestly tell you that I was in AA maybe 4 times as a student - two of those for concerts. (Jefferson Starship with April Wine and The Michael Stanley Band). I was in the library DAILY.

I guess my point being is that, of course there are going to be a number of students upset with the Stroh Fee.......

Understandable, but I think the point a lot of people are missing (although I'm not saying you are) is that the Stroh family has donated quite a bit to academics and other more general use facilities, which is why I get so sensitive about people disrespecting them or their donation.

Peregrinner · Post by **Peregrinner** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:34 pm

Tech83 wrote:Or is it the fumes he inhaled last year when he was Freddie..... My understanding is that you're issued a case of Febreze along with the costume

A case of Febreeze and a carton of extra strength sharpie markers.

Fumes, indeed!

Tech83 · Post by **Tech83** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:43 pm

Peregrinner wrote: Understandable, but I think the point a lot of people are missing (although I'm not saying you are) is that the Stroh family has donated quite a bit to academics and other more general use facilities, which is why I get so sensitive about people disrespecting them or their donation.

(remember... just playing BO... I mean Devil's Advocate

)

Then this is a case of poor marketing. The U should really be out in front pushing that kinda of information.... if it is true.

My understanding is that Mr. Stroh made his money in propane...... so maybe we should have a mural like this painted in the building........

And yes.... I realize that I am going to hell

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:48 pm

Peregrinner wrote:Understandable, but I think the point a lot of people are missing (although I'm not saying you are) is that the Stroh family has donated quite a bit to academics and other more general use facilities, which is why I get so sensitive about people disrespecting them or their donation.

That's the point that needs to be underlined, bolded and italicized every chance it can get. A very generous man who not only served as a trustee, but built generations of one of the most loyal Falcon families out there despite not even attending the school himself decided to put his support behind what he viewed as a need for the university. That's on top of all the other academic support and donations he and his family have made.

Anyone that wants to speak down toward that deserves a steel-toed boot.

As for Tech's advocating the devil... I don't care if Paul Olscamp wants to donate millions to build a better curling sheet. If the generosity is there, who is the university to turn it down?

Besides, it's not like the academic side is being neglected. Blade story