Re: Bentley Falcons 2013-2014: No offseason. No excuses.
Not unusual at all, as I've seen it done many places. I love the concept and wonder if it would be accepted by the student body at Bentley. Keep in mind $56 likely won't cut it with today's costs. But as a part of a combined alumni, corporate, and student venture, it makes great sense. You still would need some sizeable original "seed money" to start any campaign, and that has not happened to date.
So I just did some math. When we pestered President Gloria Larson and Dean of students Andrew Shepardson, the number that they threw around for the multi-purpose "Convocation Center" (as Gloria called it) was $20 million. I know Gloria's vision (a venue for the 2017 centennial graduation ceremony) is a much grander project but that number still seems high compared to the $1.4 million for the Mercyhurst Ice Center (even with inflation that's only $3 million by today's standards). Regardless if that's the number they're using, and we were to implement a strategy similar to Mercyhurst's in 1991, it would cost each student $167 dollars per year for the same 30 year plan 'Hurst used. And that would fully fund the entire $20 million project. Throw in paying off the interest on the potential loan and say that number doubles to around $300 per student. Now, if the university made this a unified effort that included alumni, some corporate sponsors and maybe the local community I think we'd see the student's payment drop to a number that wouldn't receive much opposition here on campus.
As the program continues to roll this year, more and more people on campus are talking about the team, and EVERYONE who I've talked to wonders why we don't have a rink and many go further by asking how or when we might get one. If Bentley were to announce this proposition to the students I really believe that the students would not only support it, but gladly welcome it. A fee of $300 (hopefully less with the combined venture) on a $56,000 bill won't break backs. I am obviously biased in my haste to view a $300 fee as completely do-able, but I really believe that if presented with the opportunity the Bentley community would jump at the chance for a rink to call their own. Even non-hockey fans; when made aware that the new venue would allow for more "big-name" concerts and provide a respectable setting for graduation, convocation and essentially every other event; will hopefully support the proposal.
While looking into the costs of the rink, we're trying to find out how much it costs the school to put up the massive 2000 seat pavilion they currently use several times throughout the year for those events like graduation and convocation. We've heard a number around $50,000. So say putting up that tent 10 times a year costs the school $500,000. Over the 30 years we'd have the "Convocation Center" the school would save $15,000,000! That's just another point we'll raise next time we see Dean Shepardson at the JAR. It can't hurt to keep a pro-rink voice in the ears of administration. I'm going to do some research and try and find the people who made the MIC project happen in 1991 to ask them how they went about it. We're just going to keep gathering more and more information in support of a new rink. Our ultimate goal for this year is to have a sit down meeting with President Larson about a rink and it's looking like that might happen. The more we have to talk about with her, the better. And I think we've got quite a bit to talk about.
Everything I just said aside, the biggest benefit to a potential on campus rink is for the team to continue to succeed on the ice. Eventually the impressive play of this team can't be ignored and change will happen. Until then , we'll be happy to cheer on the boys wherever they play.
I hope the injury bug stays away from us but every team has to deal with set backs.