FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

I was planning to stay above the fray on the "our school is better than your school" playground debate, but figure I should weigh in with my two cents worth. Especially since in the past week, I've received morbid mail from both schools—one reminds me to include them in my estate planning and the other offering me a burial site with an amazing view!

As someone who benefited greatly from the education provided by the Benedictine nuns (K-8) and monks (HS), I will always be indebted to the OSB for providing me with a solid foundation of academic skills and (along with my parents) what I hope is a good, solid moral compass. I had the opportunity to take a couple of classes at SJU when I was in HS, and found them most rewarding. I have many friends and relatives in the SJU/CSB "network" and feel my life is better for that.

Then I "turned to the dark side" and enrolled at CST. My time at St. Thomas was every bit as enjoyable and rewarding. The education I received there was as good as could be had anywhere, in my opinion and the non-academic life lessons were every bit as fulfilling. Even though I was a "rube" from rural MN, I became part of the family of CST, and have never regretted my college choice (although a few January mornings, I have wondered "what if" I'd gone to Arizona St instead)

Both Saint John's and St. Thomas offer so many opportunities to their students, both in the classroom and beyond it. Both schools provide a strong, solid education as well as a community. Yes, the schools have many differences, but they also have many, many commonalities. Each is the right place for people of varying backgrounds, yet the fundamental similarities are best evidenced by the many families like mine that proudly claim alums of both schools.

When the two meet in athletics, I have nothing but the utmost of respect for the Johnnies, although I root loud and hard for the men in purple. I've witnessed some of the greatest athletic battles in various sports between the two and I look forward to seeing many, many more (morbid mail to the contrary).

I think Old Benedict himself said it best: "No one is to pursue what is judged best for oneself, but instead, what is better for someone else."

This is just one man's opinion. Plain and simple, I love both institutions.

[hazzben]

Glenn Caruso's take on the BU game just posted on WCCO:

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/category/sports/st-thomas/

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! The last thing I want to hear is that Caruso is a Huskers and Tom Osborne fan. I'm trying to build up all my Tommie hatred this week, not back into respecting them 

[USTBench]

Bench get into Escalade and cry.

I'm not so sure I'd use an Escalade as a measure of success.

Only if it's on 26's or bigger.

I measure success by correlating the amount of work I do, to the amount of money I make. Since I've been talking to you rubes all day, guess I'm doing okay.

Of course it would appear, you all are doing well too.

[Retired Old Rat]

FYI, Kilted Rat was scheduled to become a father yesterday.  No current updates on facebook.

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

FYI, Kilted Rat was scheduled to become a father yesterday.  No current updates on facebook.

When I congratulated him on the upcoming blessed event, KR told me "if its a boy, he will go to SJU, if its a girl, CSB. If it has Downs, then UST"....we need is wit here

[SUMMIT!!!!!]

Bench get into Escalade and cry.

slumming it today Bench? I coulda sworn I'd seen you driving a Phantom recently .. twas parked next to mine
(amazingly, there is a RR dealership in Dennison MN...not far out of Northfield... and no, it wasnt part of Denny Hecker's empire)

[DustySJU]

Looking for Pregaming in St. Peter tomorrow?

Check here for more details....  www.JohnnieFootball.com

Go Johnnie!

[BDB]

Former Gopher and All Pro offensive lineman for the Packers Gale Gillingham dies at his Little Falls MN. home:

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily_updates/article_19c5f57c-fbe9-11e0-b14c-001cc4c03286.html

ritz72 and/or Veek probably knew this guy.

[edstone]

Responding to no one in particular and to no one subject specifically, I toss out some thoughts for those on the board to think about.

Regarding Gale Gillingham, sorry to hear about his death. He was playing at the U of M when I was playing at BU.

With the recent passing of Al Davis, the Raider everyone loved to hate, I'm reminded of a pair of Hamline players that were drafted by the Raiders. Duane Benson and Ray Carlson both got a shot at the AFL/NFL life. It would appear that Benson was the better player, with a pro career that lasted about 10 years.

Say what you want about St John's football. I first came to Minnesota in 1965 and listened to the radio broadcast of their NAIA championship game with Linfield that year. That's more than 45 years ago. To be that good for so long, some one has to be doing something right. They get all the props they want from me. I'll go even further out on a limb and add more.

In my senior year at BU, we had about 25 guys on the team – total; including kickers. That BU has come to the point that the sports press calls this game the toughest test yet for the Tommies seems to me amazing!

I'll be at the BU-UST game because I love to see these two clash. I love D-III because I know the players aren't trying to push their personal agenda and make money from their personal stats. Plus, all the ethics scandals that seem to be plaguing D-I just aren't a part of what I want to see.

[OzJohnnie]

The intellectual superiority of UST...anyone from Carleton want to weigh in? 

I feel like I should respond to this, but am having a hard time translating my thoughts into grunts and monosyllabic words.   

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/#p_1_s_arank_MN

Wow.   Had no idea that BU was so much better priced compared to the other MIAC schools.  Second look at no dancing?  I think so.

EDIT: And the women out number the men by almost two to one at BU. Good God.  (that's what the men say)

EDIT II: I just can't get over how well BU is priced.  A graduate from that school is looking at half the price (almost) of any other school in the MIAC.  I doubt the argument can be made that any other school's degree is twice as valuable.  That uncomfortable feeling I havenis a new found respect for the way they do business down there.

[edstone]

I'm not sure were Forbes got the tuition rate they quote. When we were looking at offers from three of the schools my son was accepted at, Carlton, Wheaton, and Bethel all came within a few hundred dollars of each other. I'm thinking that the listing used an out of date source.

[AO]

The intellectual superiority of UST...anyone from Carleton want to weigh in? 

I feel like I should respond to this, but am having a hard time translating my thoughts into grunts and monosyllabic words.   

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/#p_1_s_arank_MN

Wow.   Had no idea that BU was so much better priced compared to the other MIAC schools.  Second look at no dancing?  I think so.

EDIT: And the women out number the men by almost two to one at BU. Good God.  (that's what the men say)

EDIT II: I just can't get over how well BU is priced.  A graduate from that school is looking at half the price (almost) of any other school in the MIAC.  I doubt the argument can be made that any other school's degree is twice as valuable.  That uncomfortable feeling I havenis a new found respect for the way they do business down there.

The numbers looked a little fishy to me, so I investigated, and Bethel estimates an additional $13,000 on their website for a total of $38,000.  While $38K is still less than Carleton's $54k,  the amount of grant money the Carlies give is in the same crazy stratosphere.

[GoldandBlueBU]

The intellectual superiority of UST...anyone from Carleton want to weigh in? 

I feel like I should respond to this, but am having a hard time translating my thoughts into grunts and monosyllabic words.   

http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/#p_1_s_arank_MN

Wow.   Had no idea that BU was so much better priced compared to the other MIAC schools.  Second look at no dancing?  I think so.

EDIT: And the women out number the men by almost two to one at BU. Good God.  (that's what the men say)

EDIT II: I just can't get over how well BU is priced.  A graduate from that school is looking at half the price (almost) of any other school in the MIAC.  I doubt the argument can be made that any other school's degree is twice as valuable.  That uncomfortable feeling I havenis a new found respect for the way they do business down there.

Those figures didn't sound quite right to a recent grad ('08) with his fair share of student loan debt, so I looked on their website, and this is much more accurate.

http://cas.bethel.edu/financial-aid/tuition/

Still cheaper than a lot of the other MIAC schools, but $25K was more like for my freshman year, but $29K isn't bad at all.  The administration was pretty vocal while I was there about wanting to keep costs reasonable while still providing a good student experience.  They appear to be doing that pretty well.

Dancing is allowed now too, so no worries there.  Also, with the passing of some of the more conservative board members, students of legal age can now drink during the summers.

As far as the value of the degree (in business anyway), it is just as respected as any other MIAC school, in my experience.

I too had to deal with the un-comfortable process of transitioning from hating SJU as an undergrad, to now just having respect for what they've done over the years.  The strange feeling will pass. 

Also noted this while on the BU website.  http://www.bethel.edu/giving/projects/fitness-center

Looks like they're finally going to upgrade from the shoe-box of a weight room that is there now.  It won't be the lifetime fitness of the MIAC, but maybe the Anytime Fitness of the MIAC?  LA fitness might be too much of a stretch.

[finsleft]

Not having posted for a while, thought I'd bop in and see what was going on...
...so let me just add for the record that I, too, love everyone and love everyplace and all the schools and all their traditions...

But I do plan on going wire-to-wire on the pick 'ems this year...eat my dust, peons!

[Retired Old Rat]

Kilted Rat update:

Allison Marie, weighing in at 8 lbs 1 oz.

Congratulations to Dusty and Amy.