Do you know where your students are?

I thought the Playstation game of "The City of Lost Children" quite appropriate for today's topic.  Playstation may even consider creating a new game called "Seattle the University with lost students at KeyArena!"  Maybe the game should be about how to find the Key, navigate your way from Capital Hill, find metro bus schedules, organize a dorm car pooling event or use Microsoft Outlook.

This is a hot topic among alumni  - trust me the conversation comes up every game and so if I can get this blog out maybe some of you can have time to get off Facebook and enlighten us.  OK, I am a rarity, a hoopaholic who haven't missed a game in probably four years and then we can go back to my SU collegiate days from 1981 to 1986 and again begin the streak and to boot back then we were NAIA Division "Squat."  During the Utah Valley game last Wednesday I counted a half dozen or so students in the student section and guess what, one of them was my old roommate so he did not even count..  That is pathetic school spirit!  The "Red Zone" should be called the "No Zone."  You are supposed to be the leaders in spirit and support and right now the army you are leading into battle showing the nation we are "Division I Outstanding" is stuck in the dorms and apartments on Capitol Hill.  Albeit Saturday's game against Portland was awesome, shirtless Redhawks painted in red and flags waiving - an anomaly though,   So what are the excuses we toss around each night over a beer after the game amongst a handful of us stalwart alum?  I do not expect the entire 7,500 enrollment to show up, but how about 5% that's 375.

So enlighten me Redhawk Nation?

Here are some of the excuses.

The Arena is downtown?  Yeah, so what, Gonzaga our evil sister Jesuit school can pack in 10,000 in a stadium that games sometimes are played off campus in downtown Spokane.  Against Memphis last weekend the student section was monstrous.  I am sure if T.S. McHughes offered free beer after the game you could find KeyArena - lame excuse.

It's a weeknight and students are studying.  Give me a break.  An 'ole wise Jesuit once told me if he knocked on the doors of an entire dorm most would be on their IPhones or social networking.  (Okay, yes, I know you all are studying and this is a great educational institution). Part of going to college is to learn how to balance social, class and work schedules.  And yes, part of college is also spirit and pride in representing your school in front of the city.  You are all now part of a rare 375 institutions who compete in the class room and on the athletic field.  Just ask the dawgpound - which to date makes us look like a chic in a birds nest - lame excuse.

We don't have the history yet and the students did not come here because SU is Division I. BS.  We have more history than most schools and I can rattle it off but will spare you.  This is something special, a real life "social economic" change to be involved - this sequence of growth is better experience  and observed than you will ever read in a text book.  And BS again, because I didn't go to school at SU for it wasn't Division I then. I went to learn how to think (and write crap like this) but also knew that I had spirit & pride in my school and for a fact there are more basketball players recognized by name than Rhodes Scholars (nothing against you Rhodes Scholars, just saying.) - lame excuse.

In summation of this rampant diatribe. Students need to know how much support the student-athlete needs to compete on a high level - I have been in Connolly Center in the 90's when there were ten of us in the stands. Juggling school and practice and being away on the road traveling for days at a time is grueling.  Student spirit and support raises the adrenaline & self esteem level of the student-athlete which creates wins, which creates publicity, which creates national awareness, which increases the degree of your diploma!  Oh, did I get your attention?

Show me Redhawk Nation how you will support these hardwood warriors representing your university, who by the way have graduated 100% of their seniors for the last three years, playing 65% of their games on the road and out of the classroom.  Or tell me what else I need to do to get your butts in the KeyArena seats.

Redhawks vs UC Davis Tuesday Feb 15th KeyArena 7:10 pm.  Will I be there?  What do you think?  Will you?  The tally - Last Wednesday Feb 9th Attendance 4,000 - Alumni and non alumni 3,992 SU Students 8 - Pathetic Redhawks Nation.