THE BG NEWS
POE DITCH AFTERMATH Read part three of the Poe Ditch Festival, which describes the damages and successes of the concert on Page 3.
ESTABLISHED 1920 | An independent student press serving the campus and surrounding community
Monday, May 4, 2015
VOLUME 94, ISSUE 96
Skate to Save Event assembles star skaters to raise money toward cancer research By Natasha Ivery Reporter
Ice skating may be an activity that is both fun and imaginative and includes a variety of skills and special tricks. When you add in ice skating for a special cause, it can make ice skating even better. The 12th annual Skate for Hope was held Saturday, May 2, in the University’s ice arena. The show featured a cast of various performers, including principal Disney on Ice performer Alexe Gilles, local middle and high school girls and University alumna Alissa Czisny. Skate for Hope originated when a woman in the ice arena industry, Carolyn Bongirno, decided to combine fundraising and ice skating into one. “I worked for the Orlando Magic for a while, managing their ice arena building,” Bongirno said. “I was introduced into the ice skating world and wanted to do something to
See SKATE | Page 8
PHOTOS BY SHEILA HOEGLER | THE BG NEWS
General Fees Series PART 2: Breakdown of the Athletic Budget By Cameron Teague Robinson Editor-in-Chief
There is something to be said about the popularity of collegiate sports in today’s society. It’s no secret that sports are a major talking point among University alumni, students, faculty and staff. People know when Dino Babers and the football team plays well or not so well. University athletic departments around the country are “the window of the university,” as Francis Voll, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees calls it. The University’s so called “window,” has produced a football team that won the inaugural Camellia Bowl on December 20, 2014, its first bowl win since 2004, which brought in a total of 1.1 million viewers from across the country to
an ESPN network. According to a New York Times article, the Falcons’ win in the Camellia Bowl had a higher viewership than nine early-round NCAA Tournament basketball games. “You can’t really afford to pay that kind of advertising,” Voll said. “You are on TV for three hours. Bowling Green State University, that’s coast to coast, so that’s big for us, no question.” But what has been questioned is how much the University Athletic Department receives in general fees from the students. According to the Proposed 2015 general fee and related auxiliary budgets approved by the Board of Trustees, the amount of general fees the Athletic Department receives is $12,282,708. That is 63 percent of the department’s $19,303,808 expected revenue bud-
BG SHATTERS RECORDS Track and field team record-breaking weekend at Jesse Owens Classic. Brooke Pleger tops her own record as 400 relay team shatters school record. | PAGE 6
get. While that percentage is high, it is lower than what it was in 2014. In 2014, general fees supported 70 percent of the Athletic Department’s $18,073,732 revenue budget, according to the same document. In 2014 the Athletic Department also received $435,895 more in general fees. That put the University fourth in the MAC when it came to general fees supporting the athletic departments, according to a story written by Jon Styf of Chicagofootball.com. An increase in private income [alumni or donor contributions] would help lower the amount of general fees that supports the department. That is something Voll said he and the Board of Trustees would like to see more of. “We would like to see more private income coming into athlet-
See FEES | Page 4
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Poe Ditch Series Part 3: The Aftermath Festival brings money, leaves scar on town in summer of 1975 By Hannah Benson Reporter
At first glance, the Poe Ditch Music Festival of 1975 seemed to be a failure. However, over the years, opinions of its success have butted heads. University President at the time Hollis Moore Jr. released a statement the day after the concert calling it a ‘first time-last time’ campus experience. “The large scale rock concert experiment will not be repeated at Bowling Green State University,” Moore said. “It was strictly a first time, last time experience.” The widespread drugs use at the concert and the damage done to the Doyt L. Perry stadium by more than 40,000 attendees caused the administration to quickly decry PDMF. Kim Jakeway, president of student group Cultural Boost, which organized PDMF, said he was upset Moore had to make the statement. “I was more disappointed that he had to go through that, that the administration had to go through that whole ordeal,” Jakeway said. “I don’t have any regrets except the disappointment it may have caused the administration.” Jakeway said he was satisfied with the concert as a whole, but “upset at the student turnout.” A relatively small number of University students attended the concert. About 3,300 students, one-tenth of the audience, bought presale tickets for the event, though a higher number may have actually attended.
See POE DITCH | Page 3
FUN DAY 5K
SHEILA HOEGLER | THE BG NEWS
JORDAN FROBOSE, senior, and other students in her exercise science class held a Falcon Fun Day 5k to raise money for the Cocoon Shelter.
ENJOYING LIFE Columnist Abigail Kruse talks about how everyone has something to offer. She says that we should be happy with who we are and where we’re at in life. | PAGE 5
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE SUMMER? “I’m going to get a job, hang out with friends and go to Put-In-Bay.” Sherria Flournoy Senior, Psychology