I wonder how many people attend these games at Southwest State. Games of this type were once regularly held at our UMM P.E. Center. I believe that's an outdated name of the place. Well maybe I'm an outdated person.
I have been around - believe me - but I have never been to a basketball game at this place called the "R/A Facility" at Southwest State, Marshall. That's a fur piece from here in Morris. And if the game has a late-evening start time, well it's an awful long trip back home in the darkness of night. Could actually be dangerous for someone tired at the wheel of a car. Do you dispute me on this?
Does Morris have the political clout to try to get more important games back here at UMM? That's probably the least of UMM's concerns now. I asked "the guys" at Sunday morning coffee at Caribou: "Will UMM be forced to get rid of its DEI emphasis because of what is going on with the Federal government now?
Holy cow, the Feds mean business in spades. Maybe there will be things like Federal research grant $ at risk for the U? I mean, our UMM out here on the prairie (where the coyotes howl) sticks out like a sore thumb with its DEI message. You can't say it's a "bad" thing, right? Oh but I guess many people do - they certainly voted for the guy who wants to take a sledgehammer to it.
The guy gives speeches just like Fidel Castro used to. He is a demagogue. But let's separate my personal opinion here from what is going on.
Might UMM with its "multi-ethnic building" complete with a sign outside start to seem like a hindrance for the U of M system as a whole?
The guy who wrote the "Peach" essay on UMM suggested that central U administration considers it a hassle to even deal with the "coordinate campuses" like Morris. And it appears we are lower on the pecking order than Crookston. A very well-placed source informed me that the UMM chancellor "answers to" the Crookston head person.
Does anyone wish to dispute that? Be my guest.
Fewer people will remember when people really "piled in" to the UMM P.E. Center for a high-level tournament game. The whole town of Wheaton turned out with the red-themed attire, especially for girls basketball. I guess many of us took these events for granted. Loud pep bands! Such emotional fans. I guess they felt their favored team defined the success and vitality of their towns. Seemed foolish. I think the attitude is a relic of a bygone time.
Today it does not seem so emotional. I'm deducing that even though I do not personally attend games. I'd feel out of place if I did. I'd be alone: a 70-year-old man with white hair. I'm a boomer which means I really do try to stay young at heart. You might say it gets harder.
I'm told that the P.E. Center these days has banners hanging down from one side which means that the bleachers can only be pulled out on the other side. I don't have to attend the UMM Cougar games to know that the fan behavior has to be 100 percent better and more civilized than in past times. It's just the way things are at the campus now. And that aspect of things at UMM is great.
Here's a toast to that, no more putting down the visiting athletes and fans as somehow being inferior intellectually. Times have changed, lots for the better. But can UMM even survive now? Will it be forced pretty swiftly to discard the whole "DEI" thing? What a drastic change that would be. Is it practicable? And what could be set up to replace it, especially in short order?
The Federal government as it is now disposed would not be willing to grant us a grace period. Of course the Federal government is run now by people who don't even support publicly-supported education. Well we voted for this. Certainly in rural west central Minnesota we voted for it, "MAGA red."
But will we all now have to make sacrifices?
Remember the days when workers at UMM went "on strike" and paraded with the signs on edge of campus? People drove by and some honked, giving the impression of support, but I smile upon remembering that. I think the passers-by were really thinking "get back to work you SOBs."
And now the campus seems imperiled for its very future. How can the legislature and the central U administration allow the risk of what our little DEI campus could do to the whole U system? I just think it's not possible. So what on earth is going to happen?
A huge irony: We have state legislators from here who are both all-in as Republicans, but they have actually talked up UMM as if they are fine with what UMM is doing. Wow! But powers much higher than Westrom and Anderson will be wielding clout on this. I wouldn't rule out Trump himself becoming aware of UMM and venting rage.
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| A long trip south for Morris area fans |
Well the MACA fans who made the considerable trip south saw a bummer of a game: a loss to the Montevideo Thunder Hawks 65-59. There go our hopes for a state tournament appearance. Monte takes the 3AA-North title. The Tigers and T-Hawks have faced each other often over the last two seasons.
Monte goes on to face Jackson County Central.
The Tigers and T-Hawks have appeared evenly matched. The two squads split in regular season play. It was Monte winning the first time 75-62, while MACA took the second game 56-45. On Saturday night at SSU the T-Hawks used freethrows as a strong suit toward the end. They needed every little advantage. MACA fans had their hopes up with 7:31 left to play. Our team held a four-point edge, 53-49.
Monte wrested the lead with a basket by Gannon Reidinger. Monte was the team of destiny. At least for this year.
Here's our scoring list: Drew Huebner 15, Jack Kehoe 13, Alex Asmus 10, Tyler Friesen 7, Riley Asmus 5, Tyson Grove 5 and Charlie Hanson 4. Alex Asmus was our top long-range shooter with three 3-pointers. One each came from Grove, Riley Asmus and Friesen.
The Epema name has been big in both boys and girls hoops for Monte this season. The girl is Teagan.
Griffin Epema had three steals and Dack had two blocked shots.
Congrats to the T-Hawks. Basketball is now done for MACA.
Let's cheer for the 'Waska girls on Wednesday in state!
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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