The fourth estate vs. the U at A

[scrabbleship]

The latest bunch of anti-stadium comments published in this morning's TU have got me wondering about something GreatDanes84 alluded to in the thread on stadium funding about how there seems to be a "slandering and mud-slinging" campaign against UAlbany. Between the TU pessimism about UAlbany (and SUNY as whole) and the crap we take from US News and the Princeton Review, it's like the press is out to get us; TV, on the other hand, seems more impartial and optimistic. On the other hand, $iena (and to a lesser degree RPI and St. Rose) seem to escape free of any negativity in the print media. Some of the anti-UAlbany criticism that exists borders on total vitrol towards the university, often unfounded.

 

What did UAlbany ever to do to get basically crapped on by the print media on a near nonstop basis (Singelais notwithstanding)? Why would the TU want to tear apart the largest university in the area and a contributer to the area's economic machine rather than be at least impartial to the school? How can we fix it, or are we eternally doomed thanks to the actions of a $iena-dominated press and a bunch of bitter Long Island transfer-outs who want to make the school look bad? It really sickens me, but there has to be a reason for this and a way to fix it. Any ideas?

[GreatDanes06]

it is amazing. Let me first say that if I am going to say which of the media outlets actually does a great job in covering UAlbany, it has to go to Fox News 23 guys as well as the voice of UAlbany Roger Wyland and New 13. Mark Singelais I also appreciate because he tries to get the stories the fans want to know about and his blog I think has done wonders in getting information out. However, the rest of his TU buddies and other media I do feel are out to attack this University. It just annoys me that negativity of this school is based around a ranking, which I must admit the University has worked very hard, even to hard sometimes, to clean up.

 

It makes me wonder if because of one stupid day in 2004 (Fountain Day if you can't figure it out) that all of a sudden the dogs are attacking. I must say, as a person who attended the school as an undergrad and still enrolled as a grad student, to here a comment in which a person basically calls all the students who attend the university alcoholics, is upsetting to me and uncalled for.

 

What upsets me even more however is that someone would say that not one person on this campus puts and effort into helping the community. It tries to tarnish the programs and values that many of not just our athletes, but student body as a hole, have worked for in our time here.

[UAalum72]

It was way before Fountain Day 2004 (which was really about a dozen students falling down on the concrete, spraining ankles and scraping their knees). Back in the 60s the T-U had professional curmudgeon columnist Barney Fowler, who referred to SUNYA as Dirty Doodleland from some graffiti on the dorm walls. As the school grew they and the sensationalist local TV stations never missed a story about any trouble in the student ghetto (drinking in the bars, landlords overcrowding apartments resulting in no parking for 'real' residents, loud parties resulting in trash on the sidewalks and urinating in the alleys, political fears about student voter registration here instead of at home).

[Patch]

It is What it is.

 

If these anti UA idiots woke up one day and UA had vanished so would much of the economy of the region. The same morons woould shortly be praying another pot of gold for the local economy would just pop up and replace the one (UA) they just lost.

 

Most of those who write to the simplistic TU to complain are people who are like jilted lovers all they want is revenge.

 

Intelligent minds (there are fewer than you would think) would understand the better the situation at UA the better the local economy.

 

I do think the 60 mill price tag is out of line but I think the job can get done for a lot less State money.

 

As in most public ventures the "powers that be" shoot for the Moon hoping at worst to land amongst the stars.

[GDBD]

We are blessed here w/ some dedicated & interested alums. However there are a lot of alumni - especially from the 60s & early 70s that have been known to complain about how the University is spending $$$ on unneeded things like landscaping & then are only to happy to complain about how blah the campus might appear when they visited.

Same sort of thing going on w/ some of the locals - If I can't use a baseball field 1 day for me the place sucks no matter what else they do.

To tell you the truth, IMHO, it's a culture that can only be changed by these folk embracing a popular sports program..... Most local folks don't care & don't understand the academic part of the institution.

It's not like the University is shunning the academic mission - quite the opposite.

 

Sorry had to blow off some steam. Putting the hurt on Stony Brook next Saturday will certainly help my mood :-)

[UA_MA_2000]

It is What it is.

 

If these anti UA idiots woke up one day and UA had vanished so would much of the economy of the region. The same morons woould shortly be praying another pot of gold for the local economy would just pop up and replace the one (UA) they just lost.

 

Most of those who write to the simplistic TU to complain are people who are like jilted lovers all they want is revenge.

 

Intelligent minds (there are fewer than you would think) would understand the better the situation at UA the better the local economy.

 

I do think the 60 mill price tag is out of line but I think the job can get done for a lot less State money.

 

As in most public ventures the "powers that be" shoot for the Moon hoping at worst to land amongst the stars.

 

 

Patch makes an excellent point here. One need only go 20 minutes south to Greene County to see what an area looks like when it doesn't have an academic institution(s) anchoring a community. Not to bash, e.g., Greene County (or other communities without a university), because I do live there and see inredible growth and change in Greene Co., but Albany benefits greatly from universities present in the City. My point here is to simply echo Patch's comments about how a university so often "anchors" a community -- economically, socially, and politically. A strong higher educational environment in the Capital Region (including other colleges and universities, even LCC) will go hand-in-hand with a strong Capital Region.