Dear Mr. Van De Velde — In recognition of your appointment as the new head of the ISU Athletic Department, I have prepared a Cyclone wish list on behalf of myself and the student body to ease your initial workload. Included are a few ideas that I/we think will help us to achieve “the cutting edge” that you speak of and “improve the quality of the experience for student athletes” that is your “vision.”

Try starting out with these three basic and very attainable projects.

1.) Replace that hideous looking and horribly inadequate scoreboard screen in the south endzone of Jack Trice Stadium.

The visual screen was last on the “cutting edge” circa 1970, and its inspirational messages of “Cy’s em up,” “Push ’em back,” and “Key Play (with an image of keys jingling)” aren’t exactly what I would call “cutting edge.” Get rid of it!

2.) Install a scoreboard at Hilton Coliseum that actually serves as a scoreboard. The so-called scoreboard at Hilton Coliseum doesn’t even display the score. Easy enough.

3) Create a student section at the basketball games that isn’t in the nosebleed seats (aka Section 20).

Anyone can turn on their television during college basketball season and notice that any of the top notch programs such as Duke, North Carolina, and Kansas value the student support they receive, and reward their respective student bodies for coming out and supporting their fellow students by giving them great seats to view the action.

Amazingly enough, some of these schools even use the noise generated by their student section to energize the home team and intimidate the visiting team.

Let’s follow in Steve Alford’s and Bob Bowlsby’s footsteps on this one and create something that will put the University of Iowa’s “Hawks Nest” to shame.

Mr. Van De Velde, if you accomplish these three tasks upon your taking up the reigns here in Ames, you will be an immediate favorite amongst the student body, also known as the people whose tuition pays your salary.

Do I think you can do it? By all means. You have a very impressive resume and bring all the qualities necessary to get these few things done that will put us on the “cutting edge.”

There is no time better than now to become a Cyclone, and if you truly believe that Iowa State has “the best fans in the world” as you said Wednesday, then you will reward us with these three simple and clear-cut wishes.

Good luck, Mr. Van De Velde.

Sincerely,

Jordan Gizzarelli and “The Best Fans in the World”