Kennel Club has lost its teeth

Envied by thousands, yet respected by few: the Kennel Club Board. I will admit that Kennel Club operations have never been flawless or without criticism, but this year's board seems especially poorly organized. Do the members not realize that along with front row seats in McCarthey comes the responsibility of forming crowds of rabid freshmen into organized, single-file lines at ticket distributions? Can the Kennel Board not even arrive at ticket distribution in time to open the doors at 10 a.m. like it advertises? Does it not care enough to educate those new to the MAC about what cheers to say and when, much less even lead them?

I understand that it may be difficult to hop up out of bed on Sunday mornings to ensure that individuals who are not guaranteed seats get their much-desired tickets. I certainly would not want to wake up at 8 a.m. to make sure that lines weaving in and out of Rudolf meet fire safety standards and the like, but as I am not on the board, that is not my responsibility. Just three weeks ago, students were crammed on stairwells and in every square inch of the gym complex. Only at 10 a.m. did the board usher everyone outside into a single line. An hour later, we finally moved indoors to wait until noon. Could this not have been accomplished at 8 or 9 a.m. as students arrived? The following week was not much better, though this time students knew to avoid clogging the stairwell and move outside. Even still, making people wait outside in the Spokane cold until 11 a.m. instead of 10 a.m.? Get it together. You wanted to be on the board, so wake up at 8 a.m. like you mean it.

All the chaos, miscommunication, and poor organization prior to game day thus lessens my confidence in the board's ability within the MAC. Opponents used to dread coming into the Kennel to play Gonzaga. Why? The intimidating student section (re: Duke's Cameron Crazies). Now we are just a bunch of off-sync kids chanting obscenities after foul calls (which is not only unnecessary, but disrespectful — it is a family-friendly venue after all). The whole center court section might as well be cast in stone for the lack of contributions it makes to cheers. It could be that the students themselves would rather just stand there (which would be weird) or that the Kennel Board has not given proper instructions regarding what to say. Standing in the middle section (as I do every chance I get), I hear only echoes, as one side finishes a defense chant only for the other side to have just begun. Where's the sense of coordination and unity in our cheers? It's rather embarrassing.

Now one might retort, "Oh yeah!? Well, what solution do you offer?" Believe me, I could go on and on, and if you feel like engaging in a great debate beyond these 800 words, come and try me. First off, this whole "pick your successor" process is ridiculous; it's a popularity contest, and we all know it. Board members may be selecting fellow basketball fans, but as a student club, it needs a system of application or election that engages the entire membership. Look at individual schedule availability, desire to support both men's and women's programs, leadership abilities, etc. The Kennel Club needs better and firmer leadership, and I doubt students would be opposed to a lengthy Board application process if it meant more success in running the club months later. As for students not knowing the cheers or inserting B**** after yelling "On you!" that lies on the Kennel Board as well. How are kids supposed to know what to say if no one has ever taught them? Hold "tutorials" prior to game time if you must. It's not like anyone is actually doing anything productive during the hour and half before tip off.

I would like to see improvements made in time for WCC play beginning in January, but I have also learned not to hold my breath. Past boards may not have been perfect, but at least students were not humiliated by the lack of organization in Gonzaga's largest club. Half of me would rather sit on my couch to watch the game, but what kind of school spirit is that? Let us take pride in our teams and school once more and make the Kennel Club a legitimate force to be reckoned with.