Student government wants name for New Hall

Built four years ago, Southeast Missouri State University's newest residence hall for students goes by the name "New Hall."

But that name is strictly unofficial. The university never formally named the building.

"Unfortunately, the name stuck," student government president Adam Hanna told the board of regents Friday.

Students want a real name for the residence hall on Henderson Avenue, he said. Student government has established a committee to come up with a proper name. Student government plans to recommend a name to the school's board of regents next spring, Hanna said.

Regent Edward Matthews III of Sikeston, Mo., suggested student government needs to look at ways to encourage more Southeast students to attend the university's football and basketball games.

"A concern I have is the lack of enthusiasm at basketball and football games by students," he told Hanna.

"Why don't students go?" he asked. Matthews wondered aloud if it has to do with the teams' win-loss records.

Southeast spends more than $7.8 million annually on its athletics program, including more than $3.2 million on football and men's and women's basketball, according to the school's most recent financial report. Those three sports draw the most spectators. Many of the fans are not students.

"We spend an awful lot of money, and the turnout is so poor," Matthews said.

All students are charged an athletic fee. In return, students are admitted free of charge to sporting events.

At some universities, students must pay to attend a sporting event.

"I didn't know it was free," said regent Reginald Dickson of St. Louis. "Maybe that is part of the problem."

Most people, he said, don't appreciate things that are free.

Dickson agreed with Matthews that student leaders and the university need to look at the low student turnout for football and basketball games.

In other action, the regents approved a new major -- a bachelor of science degree in athletic training. Athletic training has been an option within the health-management major for 10 years. But Southeast provost Dr. Jane Stephens said creation of a new major will bring increased visibility to that course of study and keep pace with national accreditation demands.

With little comment, the regents also accepted financial audit reports for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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