Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak to two Freshmen writing classes at the University of Denver. The classes were writing a series of papers on the "Boone Debate" and wanted speakers to give both sides of the story to give them perspective and depth on the issues.I spoke about DU's 145 history of school spirit, Boone's 41 year association with the University of Denver and Peter Mannino's role in trying to Bring Boone Back. The students were attentive, interested and engaged on the issues. They had a firm grasp of the Diversity Debate and asked probing and well thought out questions.
I encouraged them to get involved with school spirit, extra-curricular activities and give the mascot debate some serious consideration on both sides of the issue. I found the experience to be rewarding, challenging and informative.
5 comments:
Nice! Make those freshman listen.
Yeah dude rock on!
Just curious if you covered any discussion of being a " blogger "? And you are THE college hockey blogger of distinction !!!
The world of college hockey is totally engaged with the fun things you share on this blog ....keep on keepin' on ....... Bring back Boone discussions may help to instill more fan support of the sports programs in general .
So let me get this straight. You need to have a class/session on school spirit at DU. Is it really that bad.
DU professors are simply (and rightly) trying to use the Boone controversy as a "teachable moment". There are a lot of underlying issues that students can study to form arguments, persuade others and consider opposing points of view to become more enlightened on the different subjects.
American history, Native American Issues, gender equity, political correctness, business and branding, mascot history, school pride, the role of the web, blogs and media bias, due process and student/alumni engagement are just some of the important avenues that this fascinating controversy touches.
I am proud that my University reached out to DG as a participant in this important dialogue
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