Mutual Respect

[MrStrange62]

I understand how all of you feel about Andrew. I also understand how important football is to this university. Where was all this talk when La Kisha Gentry was tragically killed? She was just as much a part of the UNT family as Drew. Lets not be too close minded guys.

GMG!!!

[UNT_92_Fan]

i agree in full here with Strange...i was in england when i found the news of andrew and have not talked about it on here since, the fact that he won us a Bowl game and was a classy guy will not go forgotten, but Kisha was one hell of an athlete (all sunbelt track and field) as well and deserves the same respect. Words of her death were dealt with in 10 minutes and she was gone. Andrew was a great athlete but lets not forget the others than were tragically killed.... Kisha was a friend of many, myself included... what can we do as a COMMUNITY to remember TWO fallen stars is what should be discussed in times like these! Football isn't the only thing at this school and i know i will get flamed for saying that...but this program has taken a hell of a blow these past 6 or 7 months.

Edited August 15, 2004 by UNT_92_Fan

[emmitt01]

I agree completely with what the both of you are trying to say, we should mourn all of our fallen athletes. I do, though, take issue with the manner in which you bring it across though. Maybe it's just me but being berated for not showing enough emotion is a bit over the top. I'm sure we all recognize that football is not the be-all-end-all at North Texas but even if that were the opinion of some it's not anyone's place to call them on the carpet for it. Let's all try to move forward together in this time of loss.

[UNT_92_Fan]

my response in no way was meant like that emmitt....my bad if it came across that way.... i just wish i could have seen as much outreach when kisha past on.... it does take all of us working together as a Mean green Comm. to get through two tragic loses...i in no way meant any disrespect, just both were outstanding members of this family and it is a rough time for everyone... i just think they both deserve the same respect.... Memorials for both, little things like that.... I am not saying forget one for the other or anything I am just saying, with kisha, andrew, and the students coming from the Bowl, All these parts deserve mutual respect. All of this could potentially make no sense since i am rushing through this response so we will try to figure out what i am saying when i get of work!

GMG!

[MrStrange62]

I agree completely with what the both of you are trying to say, we should mourn all of our fallen athletes.  I do, though, take issue with the manner in which you bring it across though.  Maybe it's just me but being berated for not showing enough emotion is a bit over the top.  I'm sure we all recognize that football is not the be-all-end-all at North Texas but even if that were the opinion of some it's not anyone's place to call them on the carpet for it.  Let's all try to move forward together in this time of loss.

Wow...saying we should move on. The way this board is turning, it looks like we are never gonna let go

GMG!!!

[grad88]

It is very unfair and uncalled for to question people on a board like this about the "level of mourning" for different people. It should have never been brought up. This is getting more attention because football gets more attention and more people knew Andrew and knew about him. It has NOTHING to do with the dignity of either person or the degree of loss felt by family and friends.

If the QB of the cowboys tragically died, it would be world-wide news, but it doesn't mean that people value that person over any other person who died.

[UNT_92_Fan]

i dont think anyone was attacking anyone here.... its understandable that many are more hurt by the los of Drew because football is more recognized on campus. nobody is denying that... my personal opinion is that i think the outcry to change traditional things (i.e. boomer), having a ribbon campaign, etc. just for one of our fallen athletes and friends is alittle disrespectful to the others that have lost their lives here. I think we should celebrate the lives of each of these parts of our family together in one big memorial type thing.... just my two cents.....

Edited August 15, 2004 by UNT_92_Fan

[UNTLifer]

I agree that we should show respect towards Ms. Gibson also, but I think we all connected with Andrew for main reason. Many more people watched Andrew play football than watched LaKisha run track, thus creating a familiarity with Andrew that just wasn't there with LaKisha. Believe me, I don't think anyone was disrespectful to LaKisha. Losing any person at this age is terrible.

[UNT_92_Fan]

ms. gentry....

[GMoney]

I understand how all of you feel about Andrew. I also understand how important football is to this university. Where was all this talk when La Kisha Gentry was tragically killed? She was just as much a part of the UNT family as Drew. Lets not be too close minded guys.

No disrespect, but I mentioned her and the four students who were killed returning from the New Orleans Bowl this past Monday. Harry and I were talking about the tough times we've had at North Texas since December. They all should be remembered. However, Andrew just happens to be the most high profile of the six. They all should be remembered. Here it is...

Posted: Aug 9 2004, 08:12 PM 

Diamond Eagle

Group: Members

Posts: 540

Member No.: 32

Joined: 20-July 02

Talking with Harry yesterday, it really began to hit us as to what a rough time North Texas has had since December. We lost four great fans returning from the New Orleans Bowl in a horrible accident. Then we lost a track athlete (forgive my spelling LaKisha Gentry) who was rising star and Sun Belt Champion. Finally, there's Andrew. We have lost 6 student/athletes in less than 9 months!

I knew Andrew well enough to be on first name basis with him. However, I was not a close friend of his. The others I did not know at all. But, one thing that has been said many times is that life is fragile and unfortunately it takes things like this to make us stop and think. The University (and all of us) will honor Andrew, but don't forget the others, hug your love ones, and always tell your family and friends you love them because you never know!

GMG, on and off the field.

[FirefightnRick]

Where was all this talk when La Kisha Gentry was tragically killed? She was just as much a part of the UNT family as Drew. Lets not be too close minded guys

What the...?

Lakisha died in April and we are still talking about her and the four students who died in December. It's been mentioned several times here on the this board and I have spoken of them to many of you on the phone over the past week. In fact, fortunately I missed it by one shift having to work the accident that Gentry was involved in so she is in my thoughts especially every time we turn on Berry St. here on the east side.

If you want to help us here remember the others who have past away then do some research into their lives and let us know, or find someone who knew them so that they can share some thoughts about their lives here with us. The back of every North Texan lists NT alumns who have past away recently but just because we dont' talk about them here on this board doesn't mean our minds are closed to them.<_<

Rick

[UNT_92_Fan]

people might still be talking about everything that has gone on since december and may still be mourning all of these loses...In my opinion, and again its MINE, so nobody has to agree and nobody can tell me it is wrong, becaue that is the tendancies on here sometimes, but we are rushing to change everything about football because of this lose. WHICH I AGREE IS HUGE, but why should we change traditions, or anything like that for just ONE of our fallen athletes and friends.... The Cannon idea is what has hung with me. I understand that it seems to be a football only tradition (which is another story), but IMO we shouldn't change a tradition because of this. We all can mourn and give our respects in our own way, but making a (for lack of better words) spectical out of our home opener and changing one of our traditions is (again) IMO not the best way and as one of the other posters on here has made public quite tacky.

Rick -

(this in no way is a smart ass return to your comments) You want to know about Kisha.... I would put her up against Scott or Andrew in a Football throwing contest and wouldn't think twice about betting against her....i remember officiating a intermural game she played in and watched her tear up everyone on the field for two hours. She won a Co-Ed and a Women's football championship in two hours and prolly rushed for more yards than most second stringers see in awhole season....She has an amazing personality that said you want to know me... She was a close friend of my girlfriend and helped her get used to being a D-1 Athlete... that was Kisha.... one of the cooler girls i have ever met and me and her weren't even that close! You wanted to hear something about her... there ya go...

[Guest JohnDenver]

Who the hell are you to question my level of mourning? You must be some big ass jerk with very few social skills. 'Mr Strange' turns out to be a fitting handle.

We connect to high(er) profile people for many different reasons. Gender, sport, accolades, exposure, etc. If you took a few seconds I am sure you could find more reasons to connect with people differently. It doesn't make EITHER deaths more tragic or the loss greater. It does however make a difference on the level of grieving people feel. If I died tonight I bet there would be a lot less exposure than for Ms. Gentry. I bet there would be an RIP post on the main page from Cerebus, but nothing that would last longer than 2 minutes. I bet 40 people died in the Dallas area tonight, why aren't we talking about them? Your post makes no sense if I am taking it correctly.

What exactly did you mean? Did you mean to come off as such a social reject?

[FirefightnRick]

but we are rushing to change everything about football because of this lose. WHICH I AGREE IS HUGE, but why should we change traditions, or anything like that for just ONE of our fallen athletes and friends.... The Cannon idea is what has hung with me. I understand that it seems to be a football only tradition (which is another story), but IMO we shouldn't change a tradition because of this. We all can mourn and give our respects in our own way, but making a (for lack of better words) spectical out of our home opener and changing one of our traditions is (again) IMO not the best way and as one of the other posters on here has made public quite tacky.

First, no one is RUSHING to change anything. I and the Swartz' have been working on the Cannon for over a year now. Second, had it been decided to do anything it would have been to ADD, not change as I mentioned before as an option even though the overwhelming response supported a name change altogether. Third, adding a small 3/8ths inch tall stamped-on number to a piece of steel isn't anywhere close to a "spectacle", especially when only 10 to 12 people out of what, 15,000 in attendance would know what the original name of it was in the first place. That truly would be earth shattering wouldn't it? Fourth, you can relax and sleep well tonight as the idea has been dropped altogether as other options are currently being explored. In the very least Andrew has help some of you wake the @#$@# up and realize that we do have traditions and that they are worth fighting for.

Like myself and the Swartz', Balics', Hobdy's, Olsons', Kalks, Miers',Roellings', Blacks', Baltzleys', Plummers',Coverts',Finchers', Herrolds', Jacksons', etc.....when some of you have been working and spending your free time trying to make things better for the future you may want to try and remember that.

Unbelievable!

Rick

Edited August 15, 2004 by FirefightnRick

[UNT_92_Fan]

nevermind....apologies...i was acting stupid...my fault...little fired up about this topic

Edited August 15, 2004 by UNT_92_Fan

[FirefightnRick]

Then give me the same respect. You dont' know me either.

You have taken a thread about Lakisha Gentry dying and turning it into a criticism about a tradition that hasn't even happened yet. Great analogy.

Rick

Edited August 15, 2004 by FirefightnRick

[FirefightnRick]

Better yet, let's keep going with UNT_92_Fan's thought process and argue about throwing tortilla's or where to get our next pizza?

Rick

[UNT_92_Fan]

in a way you are right...but i am also trying to get all these athletes the same respect....but its whatever....Like i said...I have gotten alittle too fired up on this one...my apologies again...I forgot it was only a message board for a few...u and your crew have done tons for this university and I am trying to do something now as a student....but feel free to keep going at me

Edited August 15, 2004 by UNT_92_Fan

[Guest JohnDenver]

aving a ribbon campaign, etc. just for one of our fallen athletes and friends is alittle disrespectful to the others that have lost their lives here.

...but why should we change traditions, or anything like that for just ONE of our fallen athletes and friends.... ... has made public quite tacky. 

that was Kisha.... one of the cooler girls i have ever met and me and her weren't even that close! You wanted to hear something about her... there ya go...

UNT_92_Fan,

Obviously you have great respect for Ms. Gentry as a person and as part of the UNT community. It is wonderful that you got to know her and appreciate her completely. It is great that you have the oppurtunity to share your experiences with her on this forum. That is what it is to be a part of this online community.

You are completely wrong saying it is disrespectful to talk about one death more than the other. It is tarnishing the immediate loss for the UNT community and Smith's family. They are mutually exclusive, one doesn't reflect on the other. If you want to talk more about La Kisha, please do it. We are nice people and you have been posting long enough to know that. We will listen, we will share and we will do it as long as you want.

More people on this football message board were in directly involved in the weekly activities on watching/reading/studying what was happening on and off the field. I can say with certainty that I never attended a track and field event and I only really was motivated enough to check out the stats after the conference tourney. That doesn't mean I didn't want the best for the every athelete on the track and field team. I just wasn't as involved emotionally... nor were 99% of the people who post here. We argued non-stop for 9 months about which QB should start, which one had the skills to lead the team, which one had the intangibles, yada.

My girlfriends friend died in a very similar situation as Andrew. He fell asleep at the wheel six years ago. He was an RA in the McConnell Hall and was important to many people within the UNT community. He touched peoples' lives in more way than just enforcing the curfew and drinking rules.... Can you tell me his name? Does this mean you don't respect his loss? Does this mean that talking about Andrew is an affront to his memory? Of course you don't. Of course you won't ever tell me that.

Traditions change, morph, grow, dissappear. It is a cycle. If changing a stupid cannon's name to respect Andrew will (in the future) make someone sleep at a motel instead of driving tired and/or wear a seatbelt -- then mission accomplished. If you want to start a thread to see if you can get a tradition for people to think about La Kisha and how it is important to wear helmets, I will be 100% in your corner. It is all important but not LESS important than one another. Personally, I was in a motorcycle accident and broke four vertebrae and fractured a fifth. I am the lucky one, I wasn't wearing a helmet. Trust me, I would support your cause.

In fact, I remember the EXACT moment I heard about her accident. I was sitting in front of my girlfriend's parent's house and reading the local college sport section. I felt instantly saddened and I related to her accident. I felt grief for her friends and family and I hoped she would pull through like I did. I remember it EXACTLY as it happened and related to her for my own reasons... I was touched and I handled it in my own way. It isn't fair to judge nor compare the two events. Not fair to friends, family, mourners, outsiders or yourself.

[UNT_92_Fan]

u make good points...i agree with what you say... and again if it came across that i was questioning or challenging anyone's mourning or emotional level in this situation...I wasn't...I just saw something that fired me up alittle... This in no way was a way for me to flame any of you... some are looking way deep into it!