Just a Minute!

UW feeds the fever, but who'll be left to treat it? (6/11/09)

     With apologies to Thomas Paine, these are the times that try men’s souls.

     People out of work. People losing their homes. People giving up season tickets to University of Washington football games.

     Where will it end?

     Luckily, a private group called Husky Fever has stepped forward to address the tragic situation of those who can no longer afford season tickets. Through “Dawgs Supporting Dawgs,” the haves are giving so the have-nots can continue warming the seats of Husky Stadium in these dark days of economic distress.

     Makes you want to cry, doesn’t it?

     Husky Fever kicked off the program by donating $50,000, which will help 100 individuals keep two season tickets each. Others can help out by making tax-deductible contributions to the UW Foundation (http://tinyurl.com/m5q8y4).

     I’m sure this is a lovely gesture, but somebody at the UW – maybe new football coach Steve Sarkisian? – missed a purple-and-golden opportunity to impart a lesson in priorities. There are far more dire things happening at the UW right now. Example: Some doctoral students in the family-nurse-practitioner program are facing tuition increases of 1,000 percent because of budgetary maneuvering that strips away subsidies they received as UW employees.

     Talk about shortsighted. If these students have to leave school, who will be left to diagnose Husky fever?

JUST A MINUTE! is a weekly essay intended to be read in about 60 seconds. Find more online at seattlepostglobe.org.