Our Best Foot Forward
Anthony Maschek
I’m 1,000,000% certain that the people who laughed at and heckled veteran Anthony Maschek last week at Columbia were NOT student-athletes.
In fact, I'm willing to bet that none of the hecklers has even been to a Columbia sporting event.
I hope at least some of them weren’t actually students, but I’m not holding my breath.
Anyhow, I think the athletic department and the football team in particular can make lemonade out of this batch of lemons.
I’d like to see each and every one of our veteran students, grad and undergrad, honored at halftime of a Columbia football game this fall.
But since that’s about seven months away, I think honoring them at one of the remaining basketball games at Levien Gymnasium would be a very classy touch.
Giving some of the vets the chance to throw out the first pitch at an upcoming baseball game at our fabulous new ballpark is a good idea too.
Imagine how great it will be for the news organizations to play sound of a deafening roar of the crowd when these veterans are introduced.
Let’s show the world not just how great Columbia is, but how much greater the Columbia student-athletes are when compared to the “norm.“
I invite everyone who reads this to join me in this cause.
posted by Jake @ 10:15:00 AM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Great idea Jake,I agree that he should be honored at all these events, and made a big fuss over. He is a hero and needs to be acknowledged.
Here's an excerpt from a Columbia College Today article in 2000:
As has been reported in Columbia College Today, a working group of alumni, faculty and administrators has been progressing steadily in its efforts to create a fitting memorial for those who attended Columbia as undergraduates and lost their lives in defense of our country. Discussions continue about an appropriate site on campus for the memorial, about its design, and how to insure continuing remembrance and reflection on these classmates' sacrifices.
Over the last four years, a rigorous search in the Columbia archives and U.S. military records has yielded the following list of names of Columbia's war dead, which the working group plans to include as part of the memorial. The group asks readers to review this list and see if the name of any classmate who died as a direct result of military service (even if the date of the death occurred after their actual service ended) has been omitted.
What can only imagine that Columbia's former president Dwight D Eisenhower is rolling in his grave over this heckling incident?
Another excerpt from Columbia Magazine (April 2009) regarding veterans:
University War Memorial Dedicated
By Gordon Chenoweth Sauer ’11 Arts
Room 523 of Butler Library was a place for reflection and remembrances on the evening of December 12. That’s when the Columbia University War Memorial, which honors Columbians who gave their lives in the performance of American, uniformed military service as a result of service-related injuries during any war or recognized conflict/campaign dating back to the American Revolution, was unveiled and dedicated. The memorial is housed in Butler, near the main entrance.
University Trustees Chair Bill Campbell ’62 helped make the memorial possible and spoke at its dedication.
The Columbia ROTC Color Guard pre sented three flags — those of the Army, Columbia and the United States — in a formal procession to start the event, and the lights bounced off the brass of the military uniforms donned by alumni and branch representatives. Provost Alan Brinkley spoke of the significance of the unveiling that he called “a wonderful event for the University.” President Lee C. Bollinger stressed the importance of the memorial to the Columbia community. “We think of public service in the University as something that is deep in our mission,” he said. “There is no greater public service than that which is honored by the event this evening.”
Following Bollinger, University Trustees Chair Bill Campbell ’62, whose generosity brought the memorial to fruition, spoke about the need for it: “This is an emotional night. This is a long time coming, and we’ll take it. I wonder today in the society we have if people forget how important this kind of service is.”
A key term for the night was service — service to the University, service to the military and service to the country. Toni Coffee ’56 Barnard was careful to distinguish the War Memorial as a memorial of remembrance. “We are not memorializing war,” she said in her speech, “but remembering those who have fallen. It is a tribute.” Coffee praised the memorial, calling it “an elegant design, an ideal location and an innovative approach.”
Hi Jake,
Thank you for highlighting Anthony Maschek. He gave more than most and was treated with disrespect by some of his fellow classmates, who I believe are a vocal minority.
Best,
Bob
Jake, let's put this behind us and start talking about football. It looksa sif our adversaries are bringing in enormous classes in the 30 to 35 range and we are hovering in the mid 20s. Que pasa? And what reports are we getting out of the weight room? Is transferee Childress on campus? I hear we are moving him to the OL. I also hear that Bob H may be moving from LG to C.
Jake, A great idea. Another idea is that many students spend spring break in service activities in various part of the world. We should fund these students that wish to disrespect this brave soldier with spring break funds to provide their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Let them see if they have the bravery it takes to be in these areas, and then see if their thoughts change.
Jake: I'm in. How can I help?
Duane Bartsch
duane@bwlaw.us
CC '89
I would proudly support honoring this brave soldier. Based on the NY Post article link, Columbia NEEDS to show proper respect- to dispel the obvious conclusion, that the morons who behaved so inappropriately do NOT speak for us all.
Why doesn't someone contact Dennis Graham '70C to make it happen ??? He's the Class representative on the Baseball Advisory Committee ....
Jake: These are great ideas. Thank you for posting them in this great blog you operate on Columbia football.
Princeton alum
Jake, I just picked up an item to the effect that Marcellus Wiley has become an accomplished open water swimmer who was recently recognized by the US Open Water Swim Organization for a Pacific Ocean swim late last year.
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