I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a sports fan. And here’s one reason why.
“When I was (in school), we had a day when everyone who was receiving scholarships — academic or athletic — was called up at an assembly and honored. One guy who barely met NCAA requirements got a full athletic scholarship, while several other people who had almost straight As got $500 or $1,000.
“It is funny thinking back on it, because I was one of the athletic guys who got the big check for football,” [social studies teacher] Whicker added. — “Gold & Black Illustrated“.
Things That Make Me WeepJerz’s Literacy Weblog)
So, it’s “funny,” is it? I’m not laughing. This is sad.
(The article itself, about a spoof article that was picked up as true by sports journalists, is somewhat amusing.)
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Susan, you are right about the money. But what if the little girl in Africa has a physical impairment of some sort? How many potential doctors, lawywers, social workers, and what-have-you's were denied an education because somebody else was better at kicking around a ball? It boggles the mind.
Alumni don't make huge donations to the schools nor would they pay to see weekly speeches by students. It takes sports to keep a college going financially, I'm afraid. And even this is not a stretch of the imagination: Can the little girl in Africa play basketball or soccer? That might make her dream come true.
There's also the little girl in Africa who wants nothing but a uniform so she can go back to school. Is the education in America being wasted? I dont think so...learning can never be a waste.But it's sad how a child who worked hard all year long couldnt take a final because she fell sick in the end and failed, but the child who pulled an all-nighter the night before managed to walk off with a commendation.
Yes, it's "funny" strange/annoying, not "funny" laughable... this same thing happened this past June before commencement, sadly. I was one of the ones that only got a couple thousand dollars for my straight As, while a few basketball players and football players received large amounts of money even though they may have failed 12th grade English three times...
Helo dere..I know this comment is out of context, but I tried emailing you, and the email up on your "Contact" link doesnt work. Just noticed that my Wanderlust made it to your web log roll and wanted to say "Thank You" for adding me on. :o)
YAY!! RAH-RAH! This has bothered me for years that the gift of a college education is so freely awarded for throwing or kicking a dumb ball. But as my 92-year old father laments, "it all comes down to money, money, money."