OUR VIEW: Priority registration should solely be based on academic standing, not athletic rosters.
A proposal from Greg Giddings, faculty athletic representative, states athletes should receive priority scheduling like seniors and honors students and argues this will allow student athletes to minimize absences. However, this suggests athletic ability should be praised over academic achievement, and after behavior demonstrated by a few football players at the bonfire, disrespects the student body.
As part of the Redwine Honors Program, students are required to complete leadership courses to “encourage challenging and stimulating student interaction” and “develop an increased awareness of individual interests and abilities.” If honors students are held to such a high standard, it would be disrespectful to allow students to receive their privileges that do not maintain the same level of restraint as expected by others.
While Giddings’ proposal is meant to alleviate any tension between class schedules and game or practice scheduling, all college students have to work out scheduling conflicts on their own time without receiving privileges to help them out. As a liberal arts college, we are encouraged to delve into various opportunities that fill our schedules and aren’t pitied because of a busy schedule, but instead expected to figure it out like adults.
Although Giddings means well, this proposal asks for unfair treatment for students merely out convenience and neglects the hard work of the rest of the student body. Students that achieve academically earn the right for early registration while the proposal prioritizes athletes over the rest of the student population. If athletes want priority registration, they should focus on exemplifying academic excellence rather than their athletic performances.
Mary A • Oct 27, 2017 at 3:07 PM
I went to a large UC in California for undergrad. Athletes had priority registration, and that was actually pretty import. Athletes represent their school. Students buy tickets to game, memorabilia, making the *school* money–not the athletes. The least a school can do is support their student athletes academically, by allowing them to fit their class and practice schedule.
It’s a full time job on top of being a full time student. Military is given priority registration–because they serve(d) this great country. Honors students–because they are honors students and in turn, make the school ranking look awesome. Seniors–because we need them to graduate and (our graduating class size rankings look great) And our Athletes bring in money to our school, and in turn we give them great educations and they make everyone pumped up and all about school pride.
And by that same logic, I am an advocate for students who are working full time to support themselves should also be allowed to have priority registration. One of the big factors for college drop outs is the inability to support themselves. But if we can open the doors for success for students who work full time, then that would help a lot of people.
Emotions get high–profanity isn’t that serious. The student(s) has been disciplined–at the end of the day, they’re kids. I’m sure it was a learning experience for everyone and will not be repeated. Pumping up a crowd is different than inciting violence, and being racist and attacking women–all things that have happened on this campus and have gone unchecked.
Justen Tyler • Oct 27, 2017 at 1:41 PM
This article is ignorance, bitterness, and cowardice. Ignorance in the sense that you don’t seem to know or care about the situations and circumstances that warrant athletes getting priority (as it is in every single participating NCAA school by the way). Bitterness in the sense that there is a high probability that a big reason why this article was written is because you didn’t get to take a class at the exact time slot you wanted, causing you to either have to wake up before noon or stay on campus for more than 3 hours in a day (you poor thing). Cowardice in many ways… If you’re going to write an article complaining about something, don’t announce it as “OUR VIEW”. Slap your own name on it and say “hey y’all, this is what I think.” Along those same lines, for you to write an article putting your own voice on a pedestal that does nothing but complain about first world problems is one of the most whiny, pathetic things I can imagine.
TLDR; Do research. Stop complaining. Don’t be scared, put your name on it.
Liz • Oct 26, 2017 at 1:06 AM
“Suggests athletic ability should be praised over academic,” wrong. It suggests that us (athletes) need optimal class times to help schedule practices and work around traveling/games. Athletes are not prioritized OVER academics if we have the same registration ability. The football player at the bonfire should be disciplined by the coach ect, but his actions do not reflect all of us. That’s a weak statement. Athletics make money for the university, we are held to high standards as well, and we go out and volunteer in the community on top of our busy schedules. An honor student completing a leadership course gives them more “awareness of individual abilities…” Over us? Taking a course makes them more “deserving”?
Some possible alternatives:
How about if an athlete has a certain GPA, they qualify for early registration??? Or overall team GPA is high? Won’t having better schedules reduce our absences, which SOME professors (you know who you are) refuse to cooperate on?