Improving the Spectrum
Administration-student relations were resolved in a meeting Dec. 6 after a sit-down protest the Nov. 30 during the men’s basketball game against Denver.
The protest was in response to both an event staff usher’s made-up policy changes, which he related to students that night, and the apology letter from University President Stan Albrecht to Brigham Young University for heckling forward Brandon Davies on Nov. 11.
University officials met with Hurd leadership and some key students involved in leading chants at basketball games.
ASUSU’s Athletics vice president and front-row regular Ryan Baylis said the meeting was for university administrators and students to get back on the same page.
“We had a meeting both about the apology letter and the Denver game,” Baylis said. “Everything just cleared up. There’s no new regulations or anything. We want to keep the Spectrum how it is.”
Baylis said university officials at the meeting were apologetic toward the students about the usher’s actions.
“The administration was kind of sorry about the miscommunication they had with us at the Denver game and how that was handled,” Baylis said. “That didn’t come from up top is what they were saying.”
Utah State Athletic Director Scott Barnes said it was an opportunity for the two sides to listen to and learn from each other.
“We discussed the miscommunication that occurred and how to avoid it in the future,” Barnes said. “We really spent a lot of time refocusing on how to continue to build on what the Hurd and the students have done. They’re as good a group as there is in the country.”
Students and administrators came to an agreement about lessening the amount and ferocity of heckling specific individuals.
Barnes said he expects the Spectrum will return to the level worthy of the third-longest home winning streak in the nation.
“I think not only back to normal,” Barnes said, “They’ve got some plans to even make it better than they were.”
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu