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The Oklahoma Daily: Our View 11-16-2006
| By The Oklahoma Daily Editorial Board | |
| Posted 10:09 p.m., Nov. 15, 2006 | E-Mail Article • Print Article • Post Comment |
Let’s go out on a limb here.
OU should become the nation’s first university that allows some student athletes to major in their respective sports.
Why not? Done correctly, it would work as well as any other major.
It’s a step that’s been long in coming around our great nation.
The process of attempting to educate the ineducable or those who don’t want to be educated is at best futile and at worst silly.
There’s no more shame in only wanting to attend college to focus on playing a sport than in only wanting to focus on physics.
There’s certainly more social value to studying physics as opposed to playing basketball, baseball or football, but the flagship university for the state of Oklahoma might as well openly offer a specialized curriculum for “student- athletes.”
They already receive access to note-takers, early enrollment, private tutoring, and an athletic official even told The Daily that OU employs multiple people as “watchdogs” for star athletes such as Adrian Peterson, Courtney Paris and Paul Thompson.
Many student-athletes excel in the classroom, but plenty who otherwise wouldn’t are undeniably kept afloat by OU and the Athletics Department.
Why? Because collegiate athletics is a top-tier industry that helps universities prosper immensely and provides young athletes with glorious opportunities to pursue professional athletics in one way or another, whether it be coaching, training, broadcasting or playing.
A “football” major could be required to take general ed. classes, classes in public speaking and broadcasting, in personal training, in nutrition, in leadership and management and in a multitude of other things with plenty of elective hours to supplement.
That doesn’t sound particularly different from what a lot of sociology and health and exercise sciences majors are required to do.
A cap could be put on the enrollment, and OU would only need to assure that athletes wanting to pursue other majors were not victims of discrimination.
Shouldn’t a university provide an environment that directs students to pursue what they want to learn?
Popular OU athletes already lead vastly different (and undeniably privileged) lives on this campus.
“Student” athletes could only benefit from sports majors.
OU should become the nation’s first university that allows some student athletes to major in their respective sports.
Why not? Done correctly, it would work as well as any other major.
It’s a step that’s been long in coming around our great nation.
The process of attempting to educate the ineducable or those who don’t want to be educated is at best futile and at worst silly.
There’s no more shame in only wanting to attend college to focus on playing a sport than in only wanting to focus on physics.
There’s certainly more social value to studying physics as opposed to playing basketball, baseball or football, but the flagship university for the state of Oklahoma might as well openly offer a specialized curriculum for “student- athletes.”
They already receive access to note-takers, early enrollment, private tutoring, and an athletic official even told The Daily that OU employs multiple people as “watchdogs” for star athletes such as Adrian Peterson, Courtney Paris and Paul Thompson.
Many student-athletes excel in the classroom, but plenty who otherwise wouldn’t are undeniably kept afloat by OU and the Athletics Department.
Why? Because collegiate athletics is a top-tier industry that helps universities prosper immensely and provides young athletes with glorious opportunities to pursue professional athletics in one way or another, whether it be coaching, training, broadcasting or playing.
A “football” major could be required to take general ed. classes, classes in public speaking and broadcasting, in personal training, in nutrition, in leadership and management and in a multitude of other things with plenty of elective hours to supplement.
That doesn’t sound particularly different from what a lot of sociology and health and exercise sciences majors are required to do.
A cap could be put on the enrollment, and OU would only need to assure that athletes wanting to pursue other majors were not victims of discrimination.
Shouldn’t a university provide an environment that directs students to pursue what they want to learn?
Popular OU athletes already lead vastly different (and undeniably privileged) lives on this campus.
“Student” athletes could only benefit from sports majors.
Comments
n/a - 11/16/06 12:12pm
n/a - 11/16/06 4:11pm
anonymous - 11/16/06 5:52pm
Kopernikus - 11/26/06 9:21pm
brit - 09/20/07 8:26am
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Nice article, but I just have one bone to pick about the whole thing. The Early enrollment; I've heard a lot of people complaining about that. The only reason athletes get to enroll early is to ensure that classes do not interfer with workout and practice time. EXAMPLE, say you have to work out from 8 AM to 10 AM everyday, and have actual practice from 2 to 6PM everyday. That leaves like 10:30AM to 2:00PM for all your classes. Do Student X really NEED that 10:30 Choctaw class? Probably not, but you do. They could easily take the 9:30 Choctaw class, but you cannot. Great article though, I'm just tired of people "complaining" about athletes getting to enroll early.
n/a - 11/16/06 4:11pm
I would like to comment on James Nghiem’s view of what it is like to be a student-athlete. It is true student-athletes get a few things that the general population does not, for instance: enrolling early (honors student have this same privilege as well), note takers for those with a learning disability (yet, this is offered to all students who have a learning disability) and missing class for University sponsored events (again, all students can be excused from class for university sponsored events). As, you can see student-athletes are not getting any special treatment. Just because a student-athlete appears to have the "easy life" I believe you are sorely mistaken. As stated in the front page article, student-athletes are up at 5am working out, class, practice and mandatory study hall usually ending their day around 10pm. To those students who have jobs, it may be a similar situation but I do not think that their job is keeping them on a strict diet. What you do not mention is the countless hours of community service that these student-athletes take upon themselves every year. They use their so called “fame” from their respective sports and connect with the community, be it reading to elementary schools or visiting terminally ill children. Student-athletes are not bad people as you make it out to be, they are hard workers who chose to be a part of an athletic team. If you think it is such an easy life being a student-athlete, why don’t you try being a student-athlete for a week?
anonymous - 11/16/06 5:52pm
I wish that your "view" had actually read the article on the front page of their OWN paper. If he/she had, then maybe they would have seen the note taker policy that is applicable to all OU students. I feel that "actual" research should have been done before you print your material. I feel that this person is bashing athletes because maybe they couldn't be a college athlete and are jealous of the so called that he/she yearns for! I think they are far better issues happening in this world to fill the pages of the OU daily than bashing student-athletes. Thank you.
Kopernikus - 11/26/06 9:21pm
Accepting semi-literate buffoons into college to play sports ends up hurting everyone. They lower the standards in the classroom and they make a mockery of institutions of higher learning. What is not being discussed is that these same low IQ athletes have extensive criminal records. Is college sports that important for some of you? Can you please get a life and stop ruining education?
brit - 09/20/07 8:26am
I feel everyone who commented on this article has too much time on their hands. Not everyone is going to like student-athletes. I agree with the comment about trying to be a student athlete for a week if it seemed easy. I am not an athlete but I can see that they do work hard. Also, not all athletes aquire a low IQ. There are standards to our college and obviously they were accepted. You can only be so dumb and get into college. Think about it. Thanks.
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