Winter 2024 13 PRESIDENT Q + A PERSPECTIVES OSU ATHLETICS It’s such a strange thing that the way a university gets seen nationally on ESPN or Fox or anywhere really is through athletics. I mean, I could have a bunch of Nobel Prize winners on the field, and major national channels wouldn’t show them. This is the reality of it and why the visibility question is so important to us right now. And yet this entire story has shone light on us and on Washington State. I am conscious that we are on the national stage, and we’ve got to take advantage of this particular time to tell our story so people can see how good these institutions actually are. At the heart of that is the authenticity of fans, the commitment of students and how much emotion is invested in these two schools. I want to be sure how much these schools matter in their communities, how much the communities depend on them is visible and on full display. You’re not only OSU’s president, but also you earned a degree from the only other school left in the Pac 12. How does that feel for you? I got my master’s degree atWSU.That was myvery first stop in the United States. I got on a plane in India and I flew across the world. (Fortunately, I did know that there were two Washingtons, so I didn’t end up in the wrong place by mistake, as some cont inued HOLDING THE LINE Q: IN THIS TIME OF TRANSITION, WHAT’S SOMETHING ABOUT COLLEGE SPORTS THAT YOU THINK IS WORTH PRESERVING BUT PEOPLE DON’T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT? ALEXIS SERNA, ’08 Director, OSU’s Beyond Football Stability for ath‑ letic department and conference employees. There’s always going to be instability within this industry — it comes with the territory. But now, many of us who work with student‑ athletes are won‑ dering: What will this organization look like in the near future? Will this position still be here? How do we retain quality employees with all this uncer‑ tainty? We all want to help our student‑athletes have the greatest experience. Now we also have to manage thoughts of an unknown future. COLLEEN BEE School Head, College of Business; Pac-12 Faculty Athletics Representative What is missing from much of the conversation is how these transi‑ tions will impact the academic experience and well‑being of student‑athletes. We don’t have a complete under‑ standing of the impact of these changes — from increased travel to missed class time — but we do know many will challenge the balance between athletics and ac‑ ademics. I would like to preserve student‑athletes’ campus experi‑ ences and aca‑ demic success, as well as prioritize their physical, mental, social and emotional health. RAEGAN BEERS Sophomore, Women’s Basketball Player I think something worth preserving is playing both home and away rivalry games. At colleges across the country, rival‑ ries bring together communities and strengthen pride. Playing your rival team at home with the fans around you — just like others have through the years — is a feeling you can’t get any other way. Every game has a story, and preserving those traditions is an important aspect of college sports. MITCH CANHAM, ’11 Pat Casey Head Baseball Coach Change is a con‑ stant in life and college athletics is no different. We need to not only arm our young student‑athletes with tools for responding and adapting, but also our staff and communities. This means talking about what’s right, developing mental skills to handle adversity, respecting our community and being involved in it, as well as shar‑ ing our history to remind us how special we are and to take pride in that. I AM CONSCIOUS THAT WE ARE ON THE NATIONAL STAGE, AND WE’VE GOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PARTICULAR TIME TO TELL OUR STORY.
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