In the 101st meeting of the biggest collegiate rivalry in the state of Washington, let's just forget it all. Let's forget the fact that the teams involved are 0-19 against Division 1A opponents this year. Or that a conference opponent (USC) outscored the Washington schools by a combined score of 125-0. Let's forget that neither team is able to start the quarterback who began the season at the top of the depth chart. Let's ignore the fact that UW ranks 117 out of 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total offence – and that WSU ranks 118. Let's overlook the idea that WSU set the record for most points allowed in Pac-10 play (350) in a single season – when there were three Pac-10 games yet to play. Let's put it all aside because it's Apple Cup time. The biggest game of the season is about to take place with many critical outcomes weighing on the final score. Beyond the blatantly obvious year long possession of the trophy and the claim to 9th place in the Pac-10 is the associated pride which undeniably attaches with the game – despite this miserable season. If the past few Apple Cups are any indication, football fans will be treated to a close and competitive contest – which is all we can ask for as spectators and fans. After all, a must-not-lose game is much more critical than a must-win game – since humiliation is a much greater motivator than pride. But the significance of this game transcends the scoreboard on the field and seeps into the entire university and communities as a whole. College football has been society's indicator on the general success of a typical Division IA university. A successful football team generally correlates to increased attention and interest onto the institution of higher education. In this regard, another victory by WSU – making it four out of the past five games – in this year's Apple Cup will tangibly demonstrate the progress our university has made in recent years. Stated with a hint of bias, I believe it's clear that we're far superior to our western brethren – an Apple Cup win will provide convincing and undisputable evidence. Looking past the game itself, we see that this friendly rivalry tends to bring out the best in both universities – a perfect opportunity to improve and influence the community surrounding us. Three years ago, Crimson and Gray blanketed and waved on top the Seattle skyline via the Space Needle when WSU raised more money in the "Tackling Hurricane Relief" fundraiser. In trumping UW by over $30,000, we not only invaded Husky territory for a weekend, but improved and changed the lives of thousands who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Organizations get involved as well. For nearly three decades, WSU and UW chapters of the Kappa Sigma fraternity have competed in a Pass-Run competition to raise money for Northwest Harvest – an organization which provides hot and canned foods to about 300 hunger programs in Washington State. Examples of unique competitions occurring this year include the "one thing" challenge directed toward residence hall students at both universities. The premise of this challenge in asking students to change one behavior which will build onto future adjustments for the betterment of the environment is significant and primarily motivated by the competitive spirit between the two universities. A WSU sorority – the Sigma Kappa foundation – is currently engaged in a contest with their UW counterpart in raising money for Alzheimer's research. While it's easy for the players to look ahead to a weekend in Hawaii and for Cougar fans to salivate over what is hyped to be the best recruiting class in school history coming next year, we cannot ignore this very critical weekend and what it means to not only to the football programs involved, but the universities and community as well. So let's spend one additional day in Pullman to get behind and support our boys as we face-off in one of the biggest Apple Cup's in the history of the event – just try to forget why it's so significant this time around. Go Cougs!
Apple Cup
Registration
After many weeks of anticipation, hype and waiting – it is finally upon us. We've been eagerly looking forward to this moment, as it will significantly alter our collegiate experience for the next semester. Unfortunately, many of us are unsure of the key individuals who will essentially be determining the level of success we may achieve. While I could have easily been talking about Cougar basketball, I am instead talking about a semi-annual ritual which has become as static and ineffective as it has ever been: class registration. Our college professors are the individuals who play the largest external role in our educational journey. They are the ones who deliver the material to us in a manner which is comprehendible and digestible. However – during class registration period – these professors mean little to us other than last names next to the classes we are required to take. This is why I would like to see WSU do its part in assisting students with the class registration process by providing critical information which would help students make wiser and more effective decisions in deciding which class to take. One way WSU could help the students is by requiring professors to upload copies of the course syllabi onto a website database prior to class registration. This would be great for the students because they would be able to understand the expectations and requirements before taking a step in the classroom. This is especially useful for courses such as Gen Ed 110 because each professor has their own standards and method for teaching similar content. It would also expose students in greater detail what the course would entail far better than the current one sentence description located in the course catalogue, which would increase student enrollment in more obscure and less known classes. It would be great for professors as well because students will be enrolled in a class where the expectations and class course work were pre announced, decreasing the amount of roster shuffling taking place in the first couple weeks of each semester. Universities such as Harvard and Princeton already employ a system similar to this. If WSU has an intention to join the ranks of upper echelon universities, this would be a great step in such a direction. Another way WSU could be of service to students would be to open end-of-the-semester course evaluation data to the university body. Obviously, this would be great for the students because we would be able to know what our peers thought of a particular class and professor before we actually take the class. While sites such as ratemyprofessor.com claim to provide such information, most of the students who bother to critique the professor have strong opinions about them. Either they love them or they hate them. But you usually never see someone leave average marks across the board. The sample sizes from such sites are limited and bias, but information from the university will be extensive and objective. This is also great for the professors and administration because the students may actually make an effort in completing these evaluation sheets. At its current state, I am aware of many students who rush through these evaluations because it means an early exit from class, or they believe that their opinion matters little. But if these anonymous assessments were placed on-line for others to view, a far stronger effort to be comprehensive and beneficial would likely take place. WSU has made great strides in recent years to improve itself in serving its students with better facilities, advising emphasis and other steps. But it's time that students become more knowledgeable of the most important individuals on their academic journey – the professors and their distinct expectations. We appear to be wrapped in a season of change, so let's improve and innovate a class registration system for the betterment of everyone involved.
