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| Joan Gabel |
We as a society are probably past the stage where we should make a big deal over "the first woman" in a particular position of importance. Gabel would in fact be the first female at the helm of our august institution. Now let's move on to what's really pertinent: the state of our U. Something interesting dawned on me following the Q and A with Ms. Gabel at Edson Auditorium. If you were there, did this occur to you also? No questions about athletics.
Perhaps the reaction should be "amen and hallelujah."
I don't read Sid Hartman anymore so I don't know if he has offered any assessment of Ms. Gabel. That assessment would be from the standpoint of. . .well, you know. Our media universe has expanded so exponentially, we needn't feel so dependent on the likes of Hartman and his sports overview.
I felt for Gabel as she took questions "cold" from the audience. Even a very dynamic person could get stumped on a particular question. She was asked about the last book she's read. I remember a political debate where this question came forward. It's a relief to be at home watching a debate like that rather than up on the stage, because I don't know what I'd say. That's because even though I consider myself knowledgeable and maybe even a little erudite, it is very rare for me to consume a whole "book." I consume media.
A busy person like Joan Gabel might well forgo "books" for the way yours truly stays informed and enlightened. At Edson Tuesday, Gabel thought for a few moments and then came up with a quite acceptable answer. I wonder if the question was offered in sort of a "gotcha" way. If it was, she passed the test and in general had a storehouse of knowledge in response to all questions. I sense she's the type of person - this is a compliment - who'd happily delegate sports to the proper capable administrator.
The situation is best when sports and academics are kept separate. We know the U of M athletics department has a checkered background with scandals and embarrassments, n'est-ce pas? Remember Norwood Teague? Could you imagine someone like him circulating in a more confined, intimate community like UMM? Lecherous man.
Did I read recently where the current U athletic director got a big performance bonus? Yes, sometimes money seems to flow as if from a spigot at our U of M. Didn't Bob Bruininks seem to grease that? Correct me if I'm wrong. I always wondered why he didn't just spell his name "Brunix."
It's 5 a.m. as I write this - "Morning Joe" on TV - and a friend has just forwarded me a link about how a U of M Gopher will forgo the team's bowl game in order to 1) prepare for the NFL draft, and 2) protect his body from injury. So, it's happening here like elsewhere around the country, maybe even at University of South Carolina, home of the "Gamecocks," where Gabel works at present. "Gamecocks!" Why is it necessary for college sports teams to even have nicknames?
The Gopher who is exiting from the bowl picture is senior linebacker Blake Cashman. He made his announcement on Instagram. The Gophers will be playing Georgia Tech (sometimes reported as "GA Tech" with the first syllable pronounced phonetically in jest) in an obscure bowl. We of course were fortunate getting into any bowl at all. And we'll take it! Even if it's in Detroit, hardly in the sun belt which is what college fans covet this time of year.
Cashman's absence could be costly for the team's appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl. He led the Gophers in total tackles. "GA Tech" has a formidable running game.
Oh, there's another Gopher who has opted out of the bowl game for the same reasons as Cashman: Donnell Greene, left tackle. One sensed Tuesday morning that these matters didn't even drift through the thoughts of anyone at Edson Auditorium. And that's a breath of fresh air, I feel.
A bigger question
Many college leaders may be speculating, in hushed tones at present, about the doubtful future for the very sport of football. It sounds radical now to speak in such terms. Society isn't ready for it? Perhaps not. But the news coming out about the unacceptable health risks of the game must be confronted. The fading process will probably be gradual but I do see it coming. The sport's last bastion will probably be the U.S. Southeast. The sport will come to be associated with young men from a challenged socioeconomic background. The Big 10 could be a leader for the new era sans football. I can see it.
The subhead in the Star Tribune says Gabel would bring a "collaborative style." That's a cliche. A college president must by definition be collaborative. The subhead also described her as having "low-key charisma." Seems like a contradiction in terms. "Charisma" is a pretty loose term. I might describe her as disarming and engaging. I told her she'd be a comfortable distance from hurricanes now. Her background is quite from below the Mason-Dixon Line: she grew up in Atlanta.
Well, welcome to "the winner," north of the Mason-Dixon Line. I didn't notice any southern accent. I can't associate a southern accent with academia. There, I'd get slaughtered by the "Northstar" publication.
Joan Gabel has been at U of South Carolina since 2015. She has had to face student concern about diversity. Well, I think this would hardly be an issue at our UMM which has bulled forward on this matter. We had a reputation for a few years of maybe being overzealous or too outspoken on gay rights, at least in the eyes of the general population. I don't sense that's an issue anymore. Our society has come to accept the obvious in a non-dramatic way: gays are entitled to basic rights.
I thought the Star Tribune engaged in possible sexism at one point in the December 7 article about Gabel. The article reported on how Gabel responded to a walkout over diversity matters at U of South Carolina. We read "a video from the protest captures a visibly self-conscious Gabel facing the students. . ." I find that to be pretty judgmental and edgy on the part of the Star Tribune writer. So I'm wondering: Are women more likely to be analyzed in the context of their "feelings?"
Gabel was quoted saying "beginning the work on diversity at a Southern institution isn't always the most popular thing to do."
Well Ms. Gabel, if you get the reins here like I hope you do, you'll certainly be out of the Southern environment and away from hurricanes. Goodbye to the "Gamecocks." Welcome to our Minnesota winter. Hope you'll visit often at our "jewel in the crown" in Morris!
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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