A regular column by Athletic Director Bill Husak.
When I first arrived at LMU, I was given a tour of the grounds. The story about the development of the campus was relayed to me concerning the first two permanent buildings - Xavier and St. Roberts - and that the master plan for the campus was to be in the shape of the cross. The top of the cross was Sacred Heart Chapel and as you walked down from the Chapel through Sunken Gardens there is a row of palm trees that crosses this path. Today, you continue down the mall toward Loyola Boulevard and at the base of the cross are the athletic facilities. It was envisioned at that time that all of the growth and development for Loyola was going to be around this cross design
The campus has certainly changed since that early vision - combining to become Loyola Marymount University, expanding to include the Leavey Campus and University Hall and growing to over 8,000 undergraduate, graduate and Law School students. Remaining in place, however, is the spirit which still holds true today. The Chapel at the head of the cross and athletics at the base serves as the backbone for spirit on the campus. From this backbone emanate fibers of spirit that reach every person, organization, program and facility on campus.
Our Athletics program has the potential to coalesce the campus community unlike most other programs. It is a venue for students, alums and fans to gather and share in the excitement that college athletics provides. It is important for the Lions' venues and facilities to be at a level that not only is comparable to our competitors, but that makes a statement about the quality of the University. Our facilities were adequate years ago, but as women's programs were added through the Loyola and Marymount merger, sports added and crowd interest increased the facilities became inadequate.
Today, we are passing through a threshold of success that all of us can be proud in terms of athletic and academic achievements. These have been well documented in my previous columns. But the future challenge before us will be to improve our facilities and that challenge translates to financial support. In public institutions, bonds are passed which provide the funding. In private institutions it requires the generosity of those who believe in the values and mission of the institution and what its various programs offer for all students and fans.
In future columns I will begin to speak about specific areas that our Athletics Campaign seeks to fund. The Campaign is designed to ensure that our program has the ability to remain at a consistently high level through the construction of much needed facilities and the endowing of programs. In some way, if you are reading this column, you have contributed to our past and current success. We thank you for that commitment and effort. Our focus will now shift toward the future and that will require newer and greater commitments. What better way of investing exists than Loyola Marymount University, its Athletics program and the students who represent and cheer their sports teams?
Go Lions!
