The sheer lack of competition for the commissioner of athletics post year after year should be testament enough to the dearth of interest in Triton sporting prowess.
But why do UCSD athletics take such a far second to academics? Surely there could be multiple factors at play: Is it a publicity problem? Would a football team make all the difference? Perhaps students just don’t take pride in their UCSD identity. Whatever the culprit, you can’t slay the beast that is student apathy until you understand it.
Kari Gohd, now the unopposed Student Voice! contender for the commissionership following the withdrawal of two prior candidates, seems to have a grip on the situation and her experience speaks to that.
As chair of Triton Tide and assistant to the current commissioner, Gohd has insights that few else on campus have, and could use them to facilitate changes in the system.
One such change is focusing her efforts to augment student pride in UCSD as a whole, rather than in specific colleges, through various Triton Tide events. Though her expectations for these events seem a bit high, students would surely benefit from the opportunity to interact with one another in a social setting.
The best part about Gohd, however, is that she is realistic. Her insistence that the Tritons are at least 10 years away from a Division-I boost is refreshing to hear and we are confident that she will lead students down the path toward that ultimate goal. But a few things must be accomplished first, including the introduction of athletic scholarships as well as increased interest in the D-II teams of today.
As far as athletic scholarships are concerned, Gohd is thankfully against the blanket $500-per-athlete grants in aid proposal from Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Joseph W. Watson. A more successful plan, she argues, would be more substantial and more focused. We agree.
The interest issue is more difficult, but Gohd has a few ideas that could ignite some Triton pride, ranging from providing shuttles to east campus for baseball home games to organizing the school’s very own homecoming week with the men’s water polo team. Such tasks seem feasible, and could make all the difference in the end.
Ultimately, the commissioner of athletics has a limited role in the popularity of sports on this campus. However, if elected, we are optimistic that Gohd will take the position to new heights.
