Special treatment
Athletes don't deserve to register before other students
By: Editorial Board
Issue date: 4/5/07 Section: Opinion
All students have responsibilities. We all have lives outside the classroom. No one is so one-dimensional as to have no other obligations besides their academics.
We all choose what activities we can participate in and schedule our lives with priorities in mind. That is why it is unfair to give student-athletes one more advantage over other students when they register for classes.
A proposal in front of the Faculty Council would give varsity athletes priority during course registration.
Normal people make the decision to take an internship knowing they won't be able to take classes during working hours. And they get through registration just fine.
Students that are also parents have to arrange for child care and sometimes can't take classes because they have to watch their kids. They get through it.
Students write for the school newspaper and can't take classes during many afternoons. They get through it.
We understand that being an athlete is a huge time commitment and that by and large they do a great job representing the University. That being said, they have made the choice to participate in athletics. Just like some students choose to work, choose to play intramurals or choose to participate in student government.
Getting into the classes you want at the times you want is no easy feat at this university. That is why it isn't fair to give a select group a hand up on the process.
Athletes claim they can't take afternoon classes because they interfere with practice schedules. That's fine. For the spring 2007 schedule there are more than 75 classes beginning before 10 a.m. that do not have full enrollment.
We suggest athletes take these classes in the future because claiming afternoon practices shouldn't prevent athletes from making it to the Sociology 101 class at 9 a.m. that is still open.
Ideally everyone could get a perfect schedule. But that is just not the case, so students have to work around their conflicts. And there is no reason athletes shouldn't have to as well.
We all choose what activities we can participate in and schedule our lives with priorities in mind. That is why it is unfair to give student-athletes one more advantage over other students when they register for classes.
A proposal in front of the Faculty Council would give varsity athletes priority during course registration.
Normal people make the decision to take an internship knowing they won't be able to take classes during working hours. And they get through registration just fine.
Students that are also parents have to arrange for child care and sometimes can't take classes because they have to watch their kids. They get through it.
Students write for the school newspaper and can't take classes during many afternoons. They get through it.
We understand that being an athlete is a huge time commitment and that by and large they do a great job representing the University. That being said, they have made the choice to participate in athletics. Just like some students choose to work, choose to play intramurals or choose to participate in student government.
Getting into the classes you want at the times you want is no easy feat at this university. That is why it isn't fair to give a select group a hand up on the process.
Athletes claim they can't take afternoon classes because they interfere with practice schedules. That's fine. For the spring 2007 schedule there are more than 75 classes beginning before 10 a.m. that do not have full enrollment.
We suggest athletes take these classes in the future because claiming afternoon practices shouldn't prevent athletes from making it to the Sociology 101 class at 9 a.m. that is still open.
Ideally everyone could get a perfect schedule. But that is just not the case, so students have to work around their conflicts. And there is no reason athletes shouldn't have to as well.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
stephanie jansma
posted 4/05/07 @ 1:21 PM EST
Just throwing it out there......but all athletes don't take sociology 101
Christie Clark
posted 4/05/07 @ 1:30 PM EST
You make a good point that athletes aren't the only ones with busy schedules. If athletes are allowed early registration, so should everyone else with a 20+ hour a week job. (Continued…)
Post a Comment