‘A’ is for athletics and academics
Rob’s
Reaction
A Sports Editorial
by Rob Rejmaniak
In the past year, four different
sports teams at Capitol Campus
have lost some of their better
athletes to academic probation.
-Last winter, the basketball
team found itself without its star
ting center. Fall term grades made
him ineligible to finish the season.
-Last Spring, Baseball Coach,
Ron Melchoirre, was shocked
when he learned one of his co
captains was dismissed from
school because of low academic
standing.
-This year, one of the Cross-
Country team’s best runners has
decided that grades were getting
too low to allow him continued
participation with the team.
—And, one of the Soccer team’s
ISATT ©SCAT ®O3E
PREPARATION CLASSES FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL
which are designed and offered to:
For further information, call (717) 766-1245 or write:
most talented players will be ab
sent from the center-forward posi
tion because of academic
probation.
Why do these athletes have so
much trouble with their grades?
I think the answer is quite sim
ple. They’re lazy. Proof lies with
one of last year’s victims, a
player from the basketball team.
The player, who chose not to
be identified, admits he didn’t
take school work as seriously as
he should have.
“When I was on probation, I
spent just as much time with the
basketball team as I did before
the probation,” he said, “but my
grades improved because the pro
bation woke me up.”
-REDUCE your test ANXIETY
-GIVE you greater CONFIDENCE
-INCREASE your SCORES
TEST DATE CUSSES BEGIN
October 22 - GMAT September 29
December 3 - ISAT November 8
December 10 - GRE November 10
SEXTON EDUCATIONAL CENTER
Sexton Educational Centers
Dr. Clemmie Gilpin, Instructor
of Afro-American Studies and
overseer of student athletes’ grade
eligibility said, “Students who
engage in sports have the
priviledge to do so, and have to
earn that priviledge
academically.”
Gilpin believes students’ lives
should not revolve around sports,
and that sports should be used
for fun and recreation.
“The number of students with
low grade point averages is
small,” said Gilpin, “Overall, I’m
pleased by the grades of athletes
here.”
Capitol Campus requires a 2.0
cumulative average for its
athletes.
Gilpin said discipline is impor
tant when participating in a sport
Box 758
Camp Hill, PA 17011
HIM Mm» lamt
944-9991
Campus League Nile
■oil drilling services. Begs,
Shoes end Accessories
or club activity.
I understand it takes discipline
to perform well in school while
participating in a sport. However,
I don’t think athletics have
anything to do with why student
athletes get into grade trouble.
It’s about time student athletes
stop blaming sports as the culprit
for their academic misfortunes.
Too many of these students put
school in the back seat, not only
to sports, but to their other daily
activities as well. Until they begin
to understand this, there will con
tinue to be student athletes on
academic probation.
“Sports tend to become the ex
cuse, not the reason,” said Direc
tor of Recreation and Athletics,
Bud Smitley.
I agree.