Nasal Passages

So, a lot of people don’t know why Andersyn is named what she is. There’s a long story behind it… or more like a hundred little stories. Here is an attempt to explain it a little…

I think my earliest memory of Anderson Arena was when I was 8 years old… 30 years ago. I went to games with my mom and dad. Mike Midday, Emzur Shurelds, John Flowers, Dick Miller, I was hooked!!

All through grade school, middle school and high school, I went to BG basketball games. Men’s and some women’s games too. My dad knew the coaches, so I got to meet Coach Weinert and Coach Larranaga. It was so cool the first time I was in Coach L’s office and saw the big poster of Ralph Sampson (Coach L was at Virginia when Sampson was).

My best friend, Ravi, and I drove over once or maybe we were driven over. I don’t remember how old we were, but I remember getting on the floor and shooting around with the team before one of their practices. Remember Anthony Robinson being so friendly and shooting with us… Dan Raupp and Scott Kalish were there then too, if I recall correctly…

Then college came, I went away to Miami for a semester and honestly missed Anderson Arena. When I transferred back to BGSU it was like coming home. Lots of people went to the library to study and/or do homework, I went to Anderson Arena. I’d sit in the press row, or in Section L, Row 7, Seat 1, one of the seats my parents held as season ticket holders since… well, I guess the early 70s (and I still hold L,7,1 today). I’d always cut through AA on my way to or from class, I’d sit and watch basketball and/or volleyball practice, phys-ed classes, or anything else that might have been going on.

When I wrote the first note to my now-wife, Maryellen, I listed things I liked, one of those things was the sound of sneakers squeaking in an empty gym… that came directly from my times in Anderson.

After being enrolled for a year, I signed up for Athletic Band and for 4 seasons, I didn’t miss a men’s or women’s basketball game. It was one of the best things ever… playing my bass for the games. Back then, they mostly played double-headers too… so I’d be in Anderson Arena for hours and hours at a time. It never got old… Lori Albers, Susie Cassell, Wanda Lyle, Talita Scott, Kirk Whiteman, Ed Colbert, Shane Komives, Tom Hall, Joe Moore, Clinton Venable… too many great BG players (and not so great players) to mention!

I’ve seen so many players in Anderson… I met Nate Thurmond, Ron Harper, Wally Szerbiak, and got to see so many other great NBA players play there, Jim Jackson, Steve Smith, Chris Webber, Earl Boykins, Kenny Battle, Gary Trent… not to mention the greatest Falcon of my era, Antonio Daniels… and the current era of success in the women’s program… I could go on and on about basketball, but Anderson Arena is more than that to me.

I first heard the announcement that Operation Desert Shield had become Operation Desert Storm in Anderson Arena… I got to see Mel Torme in concert there, my graduation ceremony was in Anderson… It’s just a part of me. And, I mean, it’s got the greatest string of urinals in the civilized world!!

When my dad died in 2001, he was cremated. Not having a grave-site, I have used Anderson Arena as my place to go and mourn, remember, and talk to dad… I’ve sat in “his” bleacher seat (L,7,1) in an empty arena and cried… I told him we were going to have a baby there… and I always get to games a little early and just go up and sit there for a few minutes before moving down to my un-official seat in the student section.

So, when we were thinking of baby names, I had originally suggested “Anderson Doyt” as a joke. But we ended up really liking “Anderson.” We were pretty sure we were having a boy (so much for women’s intuition!!) and we were pretty set on the name “Anderson Dayne Cummings.” So, imagine our surprise when the midwife in the delivery room made ME check the sex of our baby and it was a girl!! We had “Sarah” and “Reagan” as our girl baby names, but right away, Maryellen and I knew that those weren’t really “right.” As soon as she was on Maryellen’s chest we said “We could still use ‘Anderson’ just spell it with a ‘y’ or something.” And so there you have it…

So, tonight, I finished up a little project I’d thought of several weeks ago… I’m pretty proud of it!! And I can’t wait to tell dad about it next time I’m in Anderson Arena.

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