Yeah the number I said was referring to before you were there. When I was a freshman in 1997, there were 4500 undergrads and 2500 graduate students. I received one of those generous financial aid packages. Big scholarship too.
And we heard the same recycled stereotypes then from the alums from the 60s and 70s and 80s. The students haven’t really changed that much.
Anyone with two working eyes and an ability to comprehend the student demographic data from the last 4 decades would easily come to the same conclusion that I have. Miami has grown more diverse and as the student body has changed, interests have changed right alongside. Yes, the basics have to be in place, you have to have a product worth a crap in order for the students to care(That will always be the case), but let's be honest with ourselves, the school itself has changed and that's to be expected and welcomed, even if it is bittersweet at times.
You can look at the slow death of The Grove over the last two decades, the decline of Greek life on campus, etc as proof of that change. I give the modern students credit, they are significantly more intelligent than we were, but it's also obvious that the school is losing some of its soul. There's more of a "Let me come here, get what I can and GTFO" vibe on campus, something that I think will eventually hurt us in regards to fundraising as these students become alumni.
For my generation(Frightening that my 20 year is coming up in four years), coming to Coral Gables was a big deal. We did our thing, but we also left feeling as if being a 'Cane ultimately changed our lives. I don't know if today's students feel that way, because it is more transactional today than it ever was, outside of the "Suntan U" days.
Then again, I can see why. There's no reason why a single year should cost anyone almost 100k, if they were to pay full freight. Even with scholarships and financial aid, you are likely going to be in significant debt, especially if you come from a working class background.
Rant over, the point remains that this isn't just another "Old Man yells at clouds" situation, there is a significant conversation to be had on WHY students are starting to care significantly less about athletics, both at Miami and around the country. It's more pronounced at UMiami, because the typical student isn't local, and doesn't view the school with the same kind of regional pride that a kid from Cleveland views Ohio State, or a student from Houston views UTexas.
