Page 4 - The Edge2023 - Spring
P. 4
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
BY DALE PONDER
Survive and Advance!
Dale Ponder
March Madness, the Big Dance, the NCAA basketball period (seven, if you’re seeded as one of the “First
championship, whichever name you prefer, is one of Four”) of the single-elimination tournament or go
my favorite times of the year! It’s the time when 68 home and get ready for next year.
NCAA Division I basketball programs are seeded,
based on their demonstrated mastery of the sport Survive and advance!
since the inception of the season, with an opportunity
to compete and hoist the sport’s ultimate prize – the In 1983, three years after being hired as head
championship trophy. It’s a trophy that the University coach of North Carolina State University’s men’s
of Kentucky men’s basketball program has raised basketball program, Jim Valvano, stayed alive in the
eight times and sought a ninth title in this year’s post-season through a series of nine overtime and
tournament. Unfortunately for Kentucky, Kansas one-point games, beating the likes of Michael Jordan
State defeated the Wildcats 75-69 on March 19, and Sam Perkins of the University of North Carolina
and 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson of the University of
Anyway, aside from some of the greatest losses Virginia. NC State was one of the biggest underdogs
in workplace productivity nationally, it’s also ever in the championship game, one that went down
an opportunity for lesser-known programs, the as, arguably, the best college basketball game in
“Cinderellas,” or programs that achieve far greater history – ending with one of the most well-known
success than would reasonably have been expected, plays of all time. The No. 6 seeded Wolfpack of NC
to lace ‘em up against the “blue bloods” of the sport State's “Cinderella” title, thanks to a 54-52 upset win
with the chance to upset the brackets and advance. over No. 1 seed Houston, won on Lorenzo Charles'
Something that the Kentucky Wildcats experienced buzzer-beating dunk after a missed desperation shot.
in last year’s madness, unfortunately.
Survive and advance!
(According to the work outplacement firm,
Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., U.S. employers “Survive and Advance” was coined by Coach Valvano
lose around an average of $13.3 billion in productivity as what he would say about progressing through
during the tournament, based on an average hourly the NCAA men’s basketball tournament – the team
earning of $27 an hour for “all employees on private would enter each game with uncertainty with the goal
non-farm payrolls. The firm also estimated that “each to survive and advance to the next round. If you win,
hour spent on the games at work” can cost employers you survived to play another game.
about $2.1 billion. The numbers include time spent
actually watching the games, filling out brackets and In public education, I feel that we are experiencing
talking about the games to co-workers.) similar circumstances and with higher stakes than
a trophy and the title of champion. As an education
The competition is fierce, and all teams are hoping to community, we have been tasked with educating the
continue their season. When the madness launches, future of our society. As school business officials,
a team must win six games over a three-weekend we are responsible for supporting that mission by
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4 THE EDGE SPRING 2023
