New GA Mike Smith, Student Fees

Stephen Tsai writes that ex-Baltimore Raven Mike Smith will join UH as a graduate assistant.

"He was one of the toughest linebackers I've ever coached," Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach said of Smith. "He did it the hard way. He became a player through great determination, which, I think, says a lot about him. He'll be a good teacher. I can't say enough good things about him."

"I was his first recruit," Smith said of McMackin, who accepted the Tech defensive coordinator's job in January 2000.

"I've always been close to coach Mack," Smith said. "He believed in me since the very beginning."

It was McMackin who helped channel Smith's on-field aggressiveness.

Ferd Lewis writes that ASUH is opposing student fees to help the UH athletics department.

The Associated Students of the University of Hawai'i yesterday announced a resolution opposing the implementation of a student fee to aid the school's athletic department.

The resolution, passed by a 20-1 vote Feb. 10, opposes a fee without student feedback and, in any case, the resolution says ASUH "feels that no money from this fee should be used towards salaries, administrative fees or capitol improvement projects."

Donovan could take the issue to Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw, whose approval would be necessary before it could go to President David McClain and the regents.

Here's part of Ferd's take on the issue:

Without a compromise, it is shaping up to be a battle that neither side will win and make both, to some extent, losers.

On one hand, UH benefits from student attendance at its events. The students help bring electricity and spirit to games, be it at Aloha Stadium or Stan Sheriff Center. In the longer term, students who are fans now are potentially UH's future season-ticket holders and donors.

If ASUH adheres to its resolution and athletics sticks to a timetable requesting a fee in time for this fall, the options are not encouraging. Athletics could ask the Manoa chancellor to back a request for the regents to impose a fee. Or, as Donovan has held out, athletics could put the best of the student seats up for sale to premium-paying customers and relocate students elsewhere.