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OCTOBER 11, 2012
Athletes: social life, studying, sleeping and training - pick two Continued from Page 9
athletes being involved in different things.” In that 2010 NCAA survey, men’s basketball players reported spending two hours more on athletics than on academics during a typical week. It’s important to remember though, that SLU student-athletes “aren’t the SEC [Southeastern Conference] athletes that everyone hears about on the news,” as Brian Conklin, former SLU billiken, said. While there is a perception that athletes miss out on many aspects of the vaunted “college life,” the vast majority have no regrets in their decision to pursue collegiate athletics. “I don’t have any regrets as far as not being able to spend as much time on other extracurricular activities,” Urzendowski said. “The tennis team puts a great emphasis on academic achievement.” When looking at the NCAA Academic Progress Rate, an NCAA measure of athlete eligibility and retention, for different SLU athletic teams, it is easy to see truth in Urzendowksi’s claim. The women’s tennis team had a score of 1000 for the 2010-2011 season, representing a 100 percent graduation rate among its players. This compares favorably to the two lowest performers at SLU, baseball with a score of 945 and basketball with a score of 923, the latter being roughly equivalent to a 50 percent graduation rate.
In fact, after recent NCAA reforms, a four-year average score below 930 will soon confer postseason bans for the offending team. So, what does the term student-athlete mean at Saint Louis University now? Part meme and part marketing ploy, the term was once as pristine as the dolphin pond. Originally, intercolle-
munity or alumni. A much stronger connection is felt to the uniformed hero commanding the court than the quirky intellectual or virtuoso violinist. The very term studentathlete is meant to perpetuate the myth that the athletes in high-profile sports are still students first, that athletics is secondary to academics—something akin
Top Majors of High Profile Athletes Business Administration Communication Psychology
50.0% 14.3% 4.8%
Top Majors of General Student Body Nursing Biology Physical Therapy Psychology Commmunication giate athletics was a way for schools to espouse their mission, coaching students in the “game of life.” Somewhere along the way, amid the two-a-day practices, taxing travel schedules and multi-million dollar television contracts, athletics lost its way. Its role on campus and in the community has undoubtedly changed. “We are like a walking image of campus,” Conklin said. Athletics provides a tangible link between the campus and the outside com-
8.8% 6.9% 4.3% 4.1% 2.9% to being a student government senator, a member of the pep band and yes, even an editor for the school newspaper. Division I athletes report a stronger athletic self-identity than academic and attribute their college choice more to athletic considerations than academic. Unfortunately, this pattern is often reflected in schools’ own behavior. “That is definitely reasonable and understandable,” Kaburakis said. “The overall environment that
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In the Eckelkamp Center for Campus Ministry
has been created in the past 100 plus years is something innate in American culture.” Athletics call upon humans’ passions in ways that even the most spirited of academic debates cannot fathom. So, if it looks like an athlete, spends more time on athletics and identifies as an athlete, why is there an insistence upon calling it a student-athlete? For many athletes in lowprofile sports like Urzendowski, it remains the truth. Even Conklin, a star on last year’s Billiken squad, felt this way, earning an MBA in just four years. “We really enjoy the same chance at a free meal that every other student is excited for. You just have to interact with the student body and show that you struggle with professors and homework too,” Conklin said. “You get the best of both worlds, I get both in my classes too,” Kaburakis said. These few remaining student-athletes are increasingly in the minority though. Not only do many feel they are athletes first; increasingly, schools and society treat them this way. From a young age, students are indoctrinated with the notion that athletic pursuits are more valued than intellectual endeavors. And nowhere is this dichotomy more entrenched than in the country’s universities, the supposed harbingers of intellectual progressivism. Now, it’s off to Chaifetz Arena for tipoff. It is game day—time to watch everyone’s favorite athlete-students.
SPORTS
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Atlantic 10: SLU picked second in the new Atlantic 10 seeking an encore to last year’s efforts that landed them hype, Jim Crews and other in the NCAA tournament. coaches were seen in proOutside of the “big six” motional videos lounging in conferences, The A-10 has Jay-Z’s newest 40/40 Club sent the most teams to the in the Barclays Center. NCAA tournament this cenNewcomers to the tury. league, Virginia CommonAs interim coach Crews wealth and Butler, were said though, “you don’t picked to finish third and start off with 25 wins, you sixth, respectively. start of with zero.” While The two teams have comSaint Joseph’s and Saint bined for three Final Four Louis are expected to finappearances in the past ish atop the conference, three seasons. Traditional they will have to watch their powerhouses Dayton and throne as every team in the Xavier just cracked the top league comes in with high 10, coming in at eight and expectations. nine, demWhile onstrating the entire the depth of Billiken this year’s squad will This year Saint 16-team cer tainly league. be in the Louis is going to be Xavier Atlantic 10 reached the spotlight Sweet 16 in good, so we need to this season, last year’s a couple NCAA tour- stay aggressive. individuals nament, but will be as a number of well. Seo f f - s e a s o n -Kwamain Mitchell nior guard depar tures Kwamain and dismissMitchell als leave reasonable doubt garnered first team All-Atas to if the Musketeers can lantic 10 honors, and junior repeat their traditionally Jordair Jett was named to strong showings. the All-Defensive team. Temple was picked “The difference between fourth and Massachusetts this year and last year is that fifth, rounding out what people didn’t know Saint promises to be one of the Louis was going to be good deepest basketball confer[last year],” senior Kwaences this season. main Mitchell said. “This This will be the only seayear Saint Louis is going to son the Atlantic 10 has 16 be good so we need to keep teams, as Temple and Charthe same agressiveness.” lotte will depart after this Now that the blueprint year. The returning regular has been laid to return to season champion Temple the Barclays Center for Owls lost two leading scorthe Atlantic 10 Conference ers, but will look to make Championship, fans will a final splash before they watch with baited breath leave for the Big East next to see which team will be season. crowned Brooklyn’s finest SLU is one of five teams in March. Continued from Page 10
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