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Originally posted by: Invictus
"IHL has no ability to control "outside groups" who may want to promote a particular "vision" of the future of any institution. If a group of "independent" USM "boosters" wants to meet to discuss converting USM to an upper division community college with a Division I football team, they cannot be prevented from so doing."

But the IHL is perceived as being weak. It is not surprising that the weakness might be a motivating force for an outside group that wants to mold a university in its image. If the IHL has not lost control of USM, it is well on their way to losing it.

Hitler saw several neighboring nations as weak. He invaded and took them over. A weak institution of higher education is also subject to invasion. USM has been weakened. It is ripe for invasion. Poland and the other nations that were invaded by Hitler had England, The United States, and other Allies to help them. The one body that should be able to help USM resist the invasion is the IHL. Evidently it is not helping. Sadly, USM has no contemporary counterpart to the Allies which those invaded nations had during World War II. What has happened at USM could never at a strong public university. The weaker we get, the more subject to invasion we are. And all while the USM alumni are sitting around watching their alma mater deteriorate.

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Originally posted by: Historical Analysis
"And all while the USM alumni are sitting around watching their alma mater deteriorate."

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Put this in perspective. A large number of USM alumni are public school teachers who don't have the time or money to get any attention whatsoever from the power-brokers. The fact that a sizeable number of USM graduates really aren't "university alumni" in the formal sense, because they came for a "four-and-out" quick'n'easy degree, cannot also be overlooked. This leaves is for a small number of wealthy physicians, b-school grads who got lucky by sucking off the public teat &, significantly, Mississippi State graduates to become the leadership for USM's "alumni."

USM is screwed, whether or not Shelby Thames remains president. USM is screwed because the wealthier, more "influential" people (i.e., those with the political connections to get their opinions heard) don't give a rat's ass whether USM is a university or a Tier IV welding school as long as they can have "big time" athletics.

Those folks should not be fooled. The next step for the MSU faction is going to be demoting USM to Division I-AA sports. At that point, the mission will have been accomplished.

How many USM faculty had their income taxes done at Nicholson's firm? My bet is that it was a pretty decent number -- of those who have taxes complex enough that they can't just file a short form anyway.

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Originally posted by: Albert
"The IHL has more on its table than just one university."

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Yes they do have more on the table. What you see on the table is a chopping block.

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Originally posted by: Albert
" No it is not sitting around. It has issued several public statements asking you folks to stop doing what you are doing. Subscribe to the Alumni Association magazine, read its website weekly, and subscribe to its email list. Just because the Alumni Association does not fall in line like the other faculty, does not mean the Association is just sitting around. You guys have gotten a firm hold on the faculty--well, at least 95% of them--but you are not going to get the Alumni Association to fall in line. You guys are actually making the Alumni Association board members mad with your sabotage tactics. In fact, with your sabotage tactics you also show the public why there should have been a major change at the faculty level."

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If what you say is true, the Alumni Association is more self-serving than Alumni-serving. The Alumni Association does not represent me and my house.

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Originally posted by: Albert
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No it is not sitting around. It has issued several public statements asking you folks to stop doing what you are doing. Subscribe to the Alumni Association magazine, read its website weekly, and subscribe to its email list. Just because the Alumni Association does not fall in line like the other faculty, does not mean the Association is just sitting around.
You guys have gotten a firm hold on the faculty--well, at least 95% of them--but you are not going to get the Alumni Association to fall in line. You guys are actually making the Alumni Association board members mad with your sabotage tactics. In fact, with your sabotage tactics you also show the public why there should have been a major change at the faculty level."

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Albert, you keep using words like "unethical" and "sabotage" yet give no instances of either. Your statement "you guys have gotten a firm hold on faculty" ignores the fact that MOST of the faculty are part of "you guys" and ALL the faculty are adults who are able to think for themselves. What "major change" at the faculty level would you like to see? They're leaving as fast as they can.

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Originally posted by: Albert
" No it is not sitting around. It has issued several public statements asking you folks to stop doing what you are doing. Subscribe to the Alumni Association magazine, read its website weekly, and subscribe to its email list. Just because the Alumni Association does not fall in line like the other faculty, does not mean the Association is just sitting around. You guys have gotten a firm hold on the faculty--well, at least 95% of them--but you are not going to get the Alumni Association to fall in line. You guys are actually making the Alumni Association board members mad with your sabotage tactics. In fact, with your sabotage tactics you also show the public why there should have been a major change at the faculty level."

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Hey Albert-

First, the comment you quoted was about alums in general. Your response is pitched as though alums and the Alumni Association are one and the same.  They ain't.

Second, the Alumni Association HAS NOT "issued several public statements asking you folks to stop doing what you are doing." At least not that I can remember.  And I do get the alumni rag, uh, mag. At least for one more year, at which time, after 23 years of continuous joint membership, Mrs. ram (not her real name) and I plan to send our membership renewal cards back with the notation that we will return when SFT is gone. 

(BTW, do you know how membership has changed in the last three years?  Me neither.  But I bet if it was up, someone would be crowing about it. Shoot, we cheer when student enrollment goes up by less than one half of one percent.)

Third, why the hell would any body read the website weekly?  Here's a link: "just for Albert."  When you get there, scroll down to the bottom of the page and note that it says it was last updated on 5/4/2004.  Of course, that is absurd, because several of the sales pitches, uh, stories, linked from that page are more recent.  Of course, some are not, like the Fall of 2003 "news" item about buying the "new" USM ring.  Why it even quotes Bob Pierce: "We expect the ring will become a virtual 'walking diploma' for our alumni so that everyone who sees the ring will quickly realize that the wearer is a Golden Eagle."  Damn, here I am thinking of hiding my real diploma and Bob is talking about it like I'd be proud to spend my money on this stupid trinket.

Yeah, I know, I am a disloyal alum because I don't think like you.  You know, I have about decided that the Alumni Association has not been particularly loyal to me; what do I owe them? I've been mailing dues in for more than 20 years, and basically all I get is the chance to use their affinity credit card, buy their class rings, or go on their arranged tours.  Thanks, but the affiliation just doesn't mean that much to me any more.

Albert, are you really a Thames foe? Just a provocative poseur? Like you'd admit it if you were.