[Moderated by Matt Jones]
I’m sure most of you have heard by now, but President Eli Capilouto has sent out an e-mail saying that classes next week will go on as scheduled no matter what happens in the Final Four. Here’s my reply:
Dear decision makers at the University of Kentucky,
I’m writing about your apparent lack of understanding of how much the possibility of winning the men’s basketball championship really means to the student body. From what I understand, classes will be scheduled as normal next week regardless of how the Wildcats do in the tournament this weekend. I think I speak for every current, former and future student at the University of Kentucky when I say that this is completely unacceptable.
There are countless reasons why having class the day of/day after the title game (if we make it) is a bad idea. I would love to write about all of them, but this post has to go up at 8:00 tonight and my computer’s battery life isn’t that great. Due to the circumstances, I have put together a condensed list of my top reasons not to have class on Tuesday if we win.
First of all, I can confidently say that if UK wins the national championship, attendance in class the following day will be no higher than 10% of however many students are enrolled. Think about that. If a class has 45 kids in it, then only four and a half kids will show up AT BEST. Do you really want half a student strolling into class 10 minutes late? Of course not, it would make a mess. The well-being of our students is supposed to be a top priority at UK. Having class next week could be downright dangerous for every student taking a class with an enrollment of a number not divisible by 10.
Secondly, nothing good will happen academically next week if we win. The few students that will go to class on Tuesday (bless their hearts) will certainly be in no shape to do anything productive that day. A handful of kids who haven’t been to sleep in 48 hours have no business being anywhere near a college classroom. Matt Jones said it best today when he tweeted, “Here is reality…whatever you teach in your class will be forgotten next week. The students will remember the Final Four for a lifetime”. The bottom line is that if UK is in the title game Monday night, no one will be studying for whatever class work they have due on Tuesday. The library will be the quietest place on campus.
And finally, classes need to be canceled for the professors. The lack of students in class combined with their lack of a mental capacity equals a colossal waste of time for every professor on campus. It’s pretty hard to teach a bunch of students that aren’t there. And then what are they going to do when the test comes around, fail the 90% of students that didn’t show up that day? Out of the question. Also, let’s stop pretending that the great staff at UK doesn’t want to stay up late Monday celebrating a championship and sleep in Tuesday dealing with the aftermath. Canceling class next week is a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Think about it Mr. Prez,
David Jackson
Twitter: @djackson_KSR
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March 28th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
You got 30,000 students trying to get off class Tuesday…how’s Eli gonna cock block class like that?!
March 28th, 2012 at 8:24 pm
I was waiting for something like this. I forwarded the email to Matt earlier today. Just unacceptable.
March 28th, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Haha the “bless their hearts” line made me laugh. Anyone know if classes have been cancelled in the past for stuff like this? Officially? Just curious.
March 28th, 2012 at 8:40 pm
I would expect nothing less from the president of such a large academic institution. GO CATS! but c’mon, did you really expect classes to be officially cancelled???
March 28th, 2012 at 8:47 pm
Alabama cancelled classes after they won the BCS championship. Why is it such a blasphemous idea for Kentucky to cancel classes. We care just as much, if not more, as Alabama does football.
March 28th, 2012 at 8:49 pm
#3 I don’t think they were going to be last year either but it’s pretty standard practice to cancel class for something this big.
March 28th, 2012 at 8:52 pm
blame any misspellings or grammatical errors in this post on the education i’m getting here at UK even when i do go to class.
March 28th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Some of us paid good money for these classes. You, sir, do not speak for this UK student. I am a huge basketball fan but I can think of no place I’d rather be Tuesday than on campus with thousands of my colleagues. If students wish to not be in attendance Tuesday then that is their purgative. College is an academic institution, and that can’t be forgotten. I think you completely misinterpreted that email. We are a college and a sports team that is constantly viewed by others as a breeding ground for arrogant, entitled, rednecks and I think not condoning a 48 hour booze-fest is a step in the right direction.
March 28th, 2012 at 9:10 pm
^This
March 28th, 2012 at 9:11 pm
what the hell is a purgative? I hope you have an english class scheduled tuesday, laura.
March 28th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Laura, very well said
March 28th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
6) Capilouto never explicitly says anything pertaining to IF we win
March 28th, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Poor Laura is obviously enrolled by the university of Kentucky, ( note when she said colleagues). So I guess she’s just trying to be responsible and get her students to come to her exciting class. But honestly if she expects us to believe she’s a “huge basketball fan” at the university of Kentucky…. Bless her heart. Lexington will be the greatest and wildest city on earth for the next week, so as an ALUMNI of this great institution I agree 100% with mr Jackson and classes should be cancelled. You’ve got plenty of time to get a degree. Go cats!
March 28th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
employed*
March 28th, 2012 at 9:58 pm
That is one of the best posts I have ever read!! Classic.
March 28th, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Disregard those who take themselves too seriously. That one had me laughing out loud.
March 28th, 2012 at 10:02 pm
I can’t wait to repost this. Thank you,
March 28th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Call it all off,
March 28th, 2012 at 10:52 pm
you are a moron if you think people will not go to class Tuesday.
March 28th, 2012 at 11:20 pm
don’t individual professors have the power to cancel their own classes? curious
March 28th, 2012 at 11:41 pm
^yes, they do. which is what I assume will happen a lot on Tuesday if we win….there’s just no way.
March 28th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
Bless their little studious hearts.
March 29th, 2012 at 12:05 am
I take back everything I said in my previous comment. I’m an idiot. I apologize.
March 29th, 2012 at 11:29 am
I always assumed that UK existed as a shell to support the pursuit of basketball greatness. I had no idea “y’all” went to classes at all…thanks to “Laura” for showing me that some students at UK do haves some purrspective. PS – *you’re parents or the government paid good money… PPS – you really shouldn’t use the passive voice; PPPS – You’re at a University, not a College; PPPPS – I don’t think MKG, Anthony Davis or anybody else on the team is considered a “redneck,” at least not according to any real definition of that word.
Bless all your hearts.
March 29th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
The word Laura was looking for was “prerogative” not purgative… Even Bobby Brown knows that word.
Also, I’d just like to point out that I pay money to attend UK not just for the education, but the EXPERIENCE. A once-in-a-lifetime experience like a national championship is head-and-shoulders above any classroom experience I’ll ever have.
March 29th, 2012 at 5:31 pm
Laura I am embarrassed that you are a Wildcat. UK basketball is the heart and soul of this university. Everyone around the country knows UK for its great basketball performance and its dedicated, crazy fans not its outstanding academic performance. I agree with Mr. Jackson loosen up and enjoy this possible once in a life time experience and cancel two days of classes.