Kennel Board is here for students

In his article "Kennel Club Should Be Run Like a Business," Austin Johnson raises many questions we, the Kennel Board, would like to respond to.  Johnson states that Kennel Club should be run like a business. First and foremost, we would like to clear up that assertion. Kennel Club cannot be run like a business because it is not a business. This is not a club dedicated to turning profit. Kennel Club is not about money; it is about the students. It is about giving Gonzaga the best student section in the nation. That's not something that can be attained by business practices or a focus on monetary gain. That's not even something that can be measured in a year-end report. If "shareholders" are indeed running the club, then hypothetically anyone who invests more could gain control of the club, which completely undermines the Kennel Club philosophy and transforms this all into a money game.

The $15 paid for entrance into the Kennel Club is given back to the students throughout the year. It enables the Club to ensure every member has a T-shirt, funds pizza and hot chocolates for ticket distribution and Tent City, it goes to making Big Heads of our players, sign-making supplies and face paint as well as purchasing extra Memphis tickets and Las Vegas activities. The list goes on and on, and membership dues have nothing to do with turning a profit as a business does, but rather for giving the Kennel Club the tools to be the best student section in the nation.

The claim that Kennel Board members have no incentive to perform their jobs well could not be more wrong. The board is comprised of members who were selected because of their passion, responsibility and specific skill set. We work together as a team to strengthen the Kennel while facilitating all communications with the athletic department. We do this, work that can individually take up to 30 hours a week, on a volunteer basis. There is no incentive? We were chosen because of our unfailing loyalty and pride in Gonzaga athletics. We work constantly because we know that 2,500 students depend on us. The basketball team depends on us. And we work because we know that this is about more than us; Kennel Club is not about one game, one season, or one year. It is about building a foundation so every consecutive year of Zags can be a stronger, fiercer Kennel. Maybe in the business sense, no, there are no incentives. We do not get bonuses if our profits increase. We do not get extra vacation time if we manage to sell more T-shirts. We do not run the Kennel Club like a business and we do not want the incentives that a business would offer us. We work solely for the students at Gonzaga. We work so we can hear the Kennel roar like it did against St. Mary's this season. We work so that Gonzaga can be the best it can be. If that's not an incentive in your eyes, then you've misunderstood what Kennel Club is about.

It's slightly disconcerting that the issue Johnson cares most about is the bar tab, and we hope that's not a sentiment all students share. As we said before, the Kennel Club is about creating the best student section. The bar tabs are run by Social Club, which is an organization completely separate from Kennel Club. That is why Kennel Club membership is not a prerequisite to Social Club or vice versa. And, of course, with their separate budgets, Kennel Club funds do not go to the bar tabs. These bar tabs are an afterthought to true fans. Yes, the wait is long for pitchers, and yes the bar can get crowded, but that is the nature of having hundreds of students waiting for beer that, after your first two pitchers, is essentially free. The Social Club complies with the Bulldog Tavern's standards, and they comply with the laws of the state of Washington. It is the bar with the largest maximum occupancy near campus; more students can fit in it than any other bar. It is a fine establishment, and they give us significant discounts so that each student can have more beer for their money. They determine their own staffing needs and distribution means; we trust their judgment. They are absolutely wonderful to us and we will continue to do business with them.

For anyone who ever has questions, suggestions or concerns about the Kennel Club, please come to us. We are here for the student body. You are the reason we work hard, so never be afraid to approach us. Thank you for your support and for being such wonderful fans to your Bulldogs this season.

Kennel Club Board are Justin Tai, Jed Keener, Brian Bratcher, Ryan Reese, Shea Vincent, Bj Vanderboom, Jimmy Barber, Nick Salisbury, Carrie Dunn, Haley Caldwell, Colin Casey, Kat McGoffin and Chris Lombardi.