Category: Campus Life

Black Lives Matter: A statement from Sean Kramer

Posted in Alumni Stories, Campus Life, Club Stories, Rants and HOT TAKESLeave a comment

Tubs at the Club is a website created and operated by white men. This isn’t by design, but it is the current makeup of our team. So, we may not always have the right thing to say on issues like these. But, we do have a responsibility to have these conversations. 

The recent unrest in our country has been troubling, eye-opening, and humbling to follow. The tragic killing of George Floyd is just one of the latest examples of the frustrating and unacceptable history of police violence in the United States. Protestors all around the United States are bringing up decades and centuries of frustration to the surface, and it’s our job as a community to listen. 

We want our communities to be safe for everybody, and we do not want violence. This starts with supporting the peaceful protests.

The black community is an invaluable part of the University of Idaho, including the athletics programs we support so fervently on this website. It doesn’t feel right to cheer for them on weekends if we are going to ignore their voices when they leave campus.

It’s not enough anymore to just proclaim to not be racist. We need to be active. We need to support the voices of those standing up to end systemic racism. We need to call out racism when we see it. We need to listen to black voices in our country asking for police accountability. 

Tubs at the Club is a platform for all in the University of Idaho community and this is a conversation we want to have. Please contact us if you would like to tell your story and give your thoughts on this issue.

Black Lives Matter.

– Sean Kramer

Idaho Central Credit Unions signs on for Idaho Arena naming rights

Posted in Athletics, Campus Life, News, Olympic SportsLeave a comment

The University of Idaho on Thursday, led by president Chuck Staben and athletic director Rob Spear, announced a $10 Million gift from Idaho Central Credit Union toward the Idaho Arena project for naming rights.

The money will be paid upfront to go toward construction cost of the now Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, hopefully slated for construction of the 4,200-seat multi-use venue by next year and a debut in 2021.

ICCU CEO Kent Oram was on hand with a giant ceremonial check to commemorate the event. He noted ICCU was initially interested in naming the court, but that the Bud Ford family already had dibs.

The donation brings the total fundraising amount to $34 Million of an estimated $45 Million budget, larger than the initial $30 Million number floated out over two years ago when fundraising quietly began.

The deal came together over the last six weeks, a source close to the situation told Tubs at the Club.

Discussions didn’t start getting serious until after Thanksgiving and a hard agreement materialized on December 15.

The timing could be described as lucky for both parties, but makes perfect sense as ICCU plans an ambitious expansion into north Idaho. The credit union currently only has three branches within a two-hour drive of the university.

The Idaho Forest Group will also be making a substantial contribution of materials, which fundraisers hope account for up to an $8 Million value to further close the remaining $11 Million gap in fundraising.

The timing of the contribution comes at a critical time before public fundraising gets announced. Per the source, “99 percent” of top donors identified by the university have already pledged or declined giving.

The hope is ICCU’s important and substantial contribution Thursday could start changing hearts during the larger public phase of the campaign.

There will be additional naming opportunities for the arena, including fan areas of the building, coaching offices, practice courts and more. Spear also alluded to a “brick-by-brick” naming idea for the average Joe fan such as yourself.

Any intelligent fundraising campaign would also have an online arm for the broke people such as myself who would like to donate our $25 of beer money to something greater than ourselves.

Stay tuned. Go Vandals.

 

The Vandals have a rap song now and it’s actually pretty dope

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It’s been nearly a month since one of the most surreal nights of my life. It’s partly surreal because I can’t believe my Seattle-ite ass sat through 5-degree-feeling weather for four hours in Vans and survived to write about it.

It’s also surreal because the University of Idaho won nine football games and completely crushed the will of one of the Mountain West’s best programs to Win. A. Bowl. Game.

Now, it’s time for us to re-live it.

First, a question.

What do you need to be a real football program?

Unis? Uh. Check. Wins? Yep. A brand-name quarterback? I mean, come on. (How does four touchdowns on over 10 yards per attempt in a bowl game sound?)

Now, we have what every real football program really wants.

A rap song.

Before you laugh, actually listen to this shit. It’s actually pretty dope.

Reuben Mwehla, a reserve wide receiver from Bellevue, Wash., produced the track for Idaho’s season-ending highlight video.

Honestly, the flow feels natural and it doesn’t feel like he’s trying to force a lyrical narrative that isn’t there. The chorus is catchy and, much like the program itself, focuses on the team aspect rather than trying to single out players and make it rhyme that way.

Mwehla has one more season left in the program, where he will be called upon to have his breakout season with all of the targets Idaho loses to graduation. After that, hit me up to help produce that debut mixtape, Reuben.

The rest of the highlight video focuses on the bowl game, which a month after the fact surfaces emotions I didn’t even feel the night of the game.

Beating the living shit out of a team which was supposed to dominate us suppressed a lot of my emotions. What were supposed to be tears became delirium and laughing. It shifted from being unbelievable to being a fucking party.

But, this video does the perfect job of bringing back those emotions and pinpointing just how incredible this season was. Incredible not because it was unexpected, because it shouldn’t have been unexpected.

It was incredible because of how far this program has come, this university has come and how hard these guys worked in order to give us – the fans – this season. It surged up emotions of just how much this season meant to me in a year where I went through a major transition in life, and how these games and these wins helped me navigate difficult stretches.

Watch this. Watch it now.

 

Take care of yourselves, Vandal family

Posted in Alumni Stories, Campus LifeLeave a comment

The greatest thing about being part of the University of Idaho community is how close knit it all is. Hardly ever do you meet somebody who doesn’t have a handful of mutual friends with you. And, from there, it’s so easy to bond, meet new people and grow your Vandal family.

That’s also where it gets tragic. Because when you lose a member of your family you also feel the pain all your friends feel.

These last few days have been difficult for me as U of I has lost an incredible and inspirational member of our family, who passed away early Thursday morning in a car accident.

I didn’t know her very well, but I know a lot of friends who were really close with her. And I knew how ambitious, friendly and caring she was. She wanted to make a difference and save the world. Her faith was important to her. I don’t think I have a single friend in the international community who didn’t know her. And that’s what hurts the most.

Next Thursday evening almost every Vandal I know or who I’m close with will be down in Boise for the big game, the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. It will be a Homecoming.

I want to see all of you, hug you and let you know how appreciative I am of the time I spent with you all.

I also want you to get there safely and to take care of yourselves.

Take your time. Don’t speed. Stay off your phones. Check your vehicles to make sure you’re ready for the conditions.

We have many more memories to make together, Vandal family. Thank you to everybody at the University of Idaho who has ever touched my life, no matter how small an impact it was. I love all of you and I want you all to never hesitate to reach out to me if you ever need anything.

Rest in peace, Mamta Kandel.

 

 

The story behind the Club: The only reason Marc Trivelpiece needed to buy Moscow’s most beloved bar

Posted in Alumni Stories, Campus Life, Club Stories, FeaturesTagged , Leave a comment

 

A handful of reasons led to Marc Trivelpiece’s decision to relocate his family back to the Palouse after over half a decade away in other parts of the Gem State.

But when presented with the opportunity to purchase the bar he worked at for three years as a University of Idaho student and graduate, only one reason came to the top of his mind to move forward with it after talking it over with his wife.

“Because,” he said. “It’s the Club.”

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