Athletes don’t deserve scheduling privileges
After reading Friday’s article in the Daily about the new policy giving student-athletes priority over other students except those with disabilities (‘U’ gives athletes first pick of classes, 11/07/2008), I want to say that this is absolutely ridiculous and an insult to all those other students who work hard in school and have other responsibilities and activities outside of class. When a student-athlete makes a commitment to an athletic team, that person should accept the responsibilities of being on that team as well as being a student. This includes scheduling difficulties.
What about students like myself, who have two jobs to pay for their tuition (a tuition many student athletes don’t have to pay)? It is often hard for me to schedule classes around my two jobs, but I do it because I accept the responsibilities of both. I don’t get any special preferences.
Because I have chosen to make school and work my priorities, I don’t have the luxury of participating in sports or clubs or a sorority. If student-athletes choose to make their sport their priority, they need to adjust accordingly and do so without more special accommodations than they already receive.
Erin Green
LSA junior
Obama’s victory offers hope for bright future and source of pride
The day after the election, I was talking to a friend on the phone and she spoke of the tears of joy she and others shared when President-elect Barak Obama made his victory speech. I am sure there were many tears shed that evening, some of joy and some of sadness. What surprised my friend was generationally who was cheering and who was crying. It seemed as if all of the “Baby Boomers” were crying, and the younger generations were cheering.
That made me wonder if first-time voters and those in Generation X were aware of the healing they afforded the millions of people who suffered from a lifetime of oppression passed down from previous generations. Right out of the gate, these voters have had a monumental impact toward change in so many ways. They looked beyond race and toward what seems good for the human race. They judged not based on stereotype and hatred, but turned toward peace and hope. They made a decision based on possibility rather than fear.
But let’s also not forget those mature adults. They were the ones who took a deep breath and let go of their fear and moved toward what they felt would make a difference in the spiraling downward direction of this great country. I just want to say thank you to all of you for the renewal and healing. I know that this is one step in the many that will need to be taken to change the course in the environment of our planet, country and lives, but I have faith and a sense of renewed belief that “we can make it work.”
Wasentha Young
Staff