The Off Topic Topic

[katmai]

SF housing is so outta whack. My aunts 2brd, 1 bath house they bought in 1976 for $42,000 was before bubble burst valued at $900k something.

Now valued down to only $640,000

[Zanza]

Um our colleges do focus on that.  Look at the top research Universities in the world: scoreboard.  People do not donate billions to UT Austin because they love our research (well some of them do), when the freaking football team wins donations to education skyrocket.  School pride and all that.  How often do Germans open their checkbooks and make annual donations to Technische Universität München?

A lot of university institutes will have something they call "Förderkreis" (maybe a translation would be "support association"), which basically means you pay some kind of minimum annual donation and get maybe a newspaper and invitations to their events. They will obviously accept bigger donations too. The same concept is basically used in elementary or high schools and a variety of other cultural institutions from theaters to museum to landmarks. The state paying for the basic budget doesn't mean that they can't find use for more money.

[Zanza]

Our culture is very different on this point.  We consider sports just as vital as other forms of education, and education is considered an essential task of the government.

Our universities and schools all have sports education, but it is meant mainly for the normal students and doesn't have a professional side to it. I played soccer at university and went skiing with them.

However the idea was never that it become this huge deal where coaches and athletic directors are being paid millions.  That came about because of TV and it is looking more and more certain these teams are going to be pro for all intents and purposes sooner rather than later.  It was a nice idea while it existed I guess, sort of like the Olympic ideal.

Our university sports are probably much closer to what you may have had before it became a professional business.

[Josquius]

I wouldn't have known my university even had sports if I didn't know one or two people on some of the teams.

[crazy canuck]

Look at the top research Universities in the world: scoreboard. 

Cal Tech's basketball team broke their 147 game losing streak last year iirc.

[crazy canuck]

Our culture is very different on this point.  We consider sports just as vital as other forms of education, and education is considered an essential task of the government.

Our universities and schools all have sports education, but it is meant mainly for the normal students and doesn't have a professional side to it. I played soccer at university and went skiing with them.

However the idea was never that it become this huge deal where coaches and athletic directors are being paid millions.  That came about because of TV and it is looking more and more certain these teams are going to be pro for all intents and purposes sooner rather than later.  It was a nice idea while it existed I guess, sort of like the Olympic ideal.

Our university sports are probably much closer to what you may have had before it became a professional business.

The big difference between Europe and North American is that in Europe the serious althletes compete through well organized club systems.  We dont really have that in North America (with the exception of hockey and even there University level hockey is becoming preferrable for those that can make it).  Here if you want to become a pro athlete the best track is University athletics.  Very few can make it to the pro ranks via some alternative route.

As a result universities in North America have obtained a virtual monopoly on what in Europe would be considered semi-pro or even pro club play.  And here is the real kicker.  The universities only pay the students in kind (and education for their playing services).  The only cost centers are the coaching staff and the infrastructure to hold the games.  The rest is pure profit.

What you are talking about in your own university what we would call University Sports Clubs - sometimes called intermural sports.  We have those too.  But we make a distinction between Varsity teams (teams that represent the university and are fully funded) - the equivalent of European major club sports and university sports clubs that are basically just students like you going out and participating in a sport.

[CountDeMoney]

What you are talking about in your own university what we would call University Sports Clubs - sometimes called intermural sports.  We have those two.  But we make a distinction between Varsity teams (teams that represent the university and are fully funded) - the equivalent of European major club sports and university sports clubs that are basically just students like you going out and participating in a sport.

Yeah, clubs have to support themselves.  We relied on donations from former ruggers, apparel sales and provided labor for student events, like setting up and breaking down concert stages.

[crazy canuck]

What you are talking about in your own university what we would call University Sports Clubs - sometimes called intermural sports.  We have those two.  But we make a distinction between Varsity teams (teams that represent the university and are fully funded) - the equivalent of European major club sports and university sports clubs that are basically just students like you going out and participating in a sport.

Yeah, clubs have to support themselves.  We relied on donations from former ruggers, apparel sales and provided labor for student events, like setting up and breaking down concert stages.

UBC just downgraded its Rugby teams from Varsity to club status effective September '15

[CountDeMoney]

Rugby's always getting the shaft.  Must be the beer culture.

[MadImmortalMan]

The housing costs are a big problem for everyone who makes a low income. That's why I had to buy my mom a house. There's not even anything she can afford to RENT on her teaching salary.

[The Brain]

Those who can't afford, teach.

[Sheilbh]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/which-philosopher-are-you
Kant
When making moral decisions, you try not to have double standards and always ask yourself whether you'd be happy for others to act in the same way as you do. You always try not to be selfish.

[11B4V]

Ludwig Wittgenstein

[garbon]

http://www.buzzfeed.com/tabathaleggett/which-philosopher-are-you
Kant
When making moral decisions, you try not to have double standards and always ask yourself whether you'd be happy for others to act in the same way as you do. You always try not to be selfish.

You got: Thomas Hobbes.

You're a strong advocate of equal rights for all people and think that the best way to ensure that everyone has the rights they deserve is to give up individual freedom and accept policies from a central authority.

At any rate, I didn't understand the worst thing you've ever done question. Most of those didn't seem particularly bad and/or were equally weighted morally.

[DGuller]

You got: Ludwig Wittgenstein.

You spend a lot of time thinking and often find yourself unable to express your thoughts to those around you. You're baffled by the world and don't think it's possible to make sense of it.

I actually understand everything about the world.