Athletes being respected on campus has been a debate for years. In many movies, athletes are depicted wearing varsity letter jackets, sometimes even wearing their uniforms to classes, in an effort to stand out.
That is not the fact at Cabrini College. The only insignia that distinguishes athletes from regular students is the occasional hoodie or t-shirt with the team name on the front. Some teams may also be seen sitting with the rest of their team members at their “designated” tables in the cafeteria.
The current issue at hand is whether athletes are treated different than other students on campus. Some students feel that the difference is significant. Alexandra Demuth, a sophomore education major, said, “I feel that the school values the athletes more because the athletes can contribute more than the average student. This is because the sports program is one of the top priorities when recruiting incoming students.”
On the other hand, some students feel as if there is inequality between the male and female sports teams. Any spectator can see the difference in size of fans from a men’s soccer game and women’s tennis match. Chances are there is a larger crowd at the soccer game.
This raises questions about who is to blame. Is it a lack interest from the students? Athletes feel like they are getting the support they need. “I think popular sports teams on-campus, such as men’s lacrosse, definitely get the respect they deserve,” Denis Beovich, a sophomore computer science major, said. “As far as the relationship between the athletes and the athletic department, I think they need more on-campus facilities to keep the respect between the teams mutual.”
Other student athletes also agree that more facilities are needed. Recently, teams are fighting over territory. The softball team has been quarreling with the men’s lacrosse team over practice priority. “Both teams are out of season and need to prepare. They both are equally talented and both were named PAC Champions for 2004,” softball player, Megan O’Brien, a sophomore education major, said.
Leslie Danehy, the director of athletics, comes from an administrative point of view. Danehy said, “I feel that the student athletes are treated very fairly here. It is in my opinion that people on campus, from Academic Affairs to Residence Life to Financial Aid, all treat our athletes as they should; as students.” Danehy then continued to say, “Sometimes student-athletes stand out or attract attention, both negative and positive, due to their tendency to gather in large groups and due to their predisposition to be competitive and take risks.”
Posted to Web by: Scott Fobes
