Scope's Sports Women In Sports: Is It Equal? by: David Scopinich The purpose of this article is to give recognition to the unsung sports stars at Hazleton, the women. Hazleton has a women’s volleyball team, softball team, and cheerleading team, the soccer team is also considered coed. This article will focus on three women who have served their sport well and have done so with pride. The three featured women are Sheri Rundle of the volleyball team, Dor othy Barrett ofthe soc cer team, and Colleen McClure of the cheerleading team. Sheri Rundle is a sophomore at Hazleton majoring in Health Policy and Ad- ministration. Sheri will be moving to Univer sity Park next fall where she will be involved with volleyball at the intramural level. Sheri was a setter on the vol- leyball team that she described as, “A team that played well as a team not individuals and that was why we were successful.” Sheri’shobbies include Rollerblading, outdoor sports, partying and sleeping. This article was also written to sere another purpose and that was to find out how women felt they were treated by Hazleton. When asked how she felt her and her team were treated, Sheri said, “I feel that at Hazleton all of the money and attention goes towards basketball and the other sports don’t seem to get as much as basketball [does].” Dorothy Barrett is the one and only woman member of the “coed” soccer team. Dorothy is a sophomore at Hazleton majoring in Marketing. Dorothy will be moving to University Park next fall where she is not quite sure if she will try out for the women’s soccer team. Dorothy plays halfback and striker for soccer. Some ofDorothy ’ s hobbies are skiing, running, partying and sleeping. When asked to describe the team, Dorothy said, “it was a lot of fun and that they really played well to gether,” but there is more to Dorothy’s story than that, Dorothy also said, ‘ ‘I feel that it was unfair that there is only one varsity room in the gym and that it was on the men’s side where I was not allowed to be. When the coach would take the team in there and talk, I was not allowed to be there and it made me feel as though I was not a member of the team as much as the guys.” Dorothy also told me a story about when she was brought into the varsity Pictured from right to left: Colleen McClure, Sheri Bundle, Dorothy Barrett, and friend doing one of the things they love the most, partying and hanging out together in their residence hall rooms. room and Gene Grobelny found out. Grobelny then made it dear that Dorothy was not al lowed in there. After hearing Dorothy I ask myself, is this the definition of “coed”? Do rothy Barrett was a member of the soccer team because she tried out just the same as every man on that team and she was good enough to make it. Dorothy was done a great injustice by this campus and she did nothing to deserve it. Dorothy did do something that has never been done before though, she was the first woman to ever lay in a C.C. A.C play-off game, a fact that she said she was happy and surprised to discover. Colleen McClure is a member of the cheerleading team and is a sophomore major ing in Nursing. Colleen will either be moving to University Park of the Hershey campus to complete her degree. Colleen was a flyer on the cheerleading team. Colleen described the team as, “hardworking, contrary to popular belief.” Colleen also said, “I feel that the Cheerleading team did our job well by giving a lot of support for the team and doing a magnifi cent halftime routine. ’ ’ The cheerleading team doesn’t get the credit they deserve because they do participate in asport that alot ofpeople can’t do and people should realize that. Col leen manages to juggle cheerleading and bong a Nursing major along with her other hobbies such as run ning, sleeping and partying. After people found out that I was writing this editorial I was given information that disturbs me. There seems to be a feeling that there is un equal treatment of sports teams here. The players on a lot of sports have come to me stating that they feel their teams are not getting as much attention or funds as the bas ketball team. Is this true? Is the basketball team favored by the Athletic Department? Well, when I approached a certain number of the basket ball team I was told that the uniforms and sneakers that ev eryone seems to think were paid for by the University were paid for by the players them selves. This leads me to be lieve that these accusations are false. There is one area that is unbalanced though and that is the treatment ofwomen in sports, the volleyball team was a women’s team that was the most successful team on campus and they received no recognition other that my article in the Collegian. The Cheerleading team is not given the respect they deserve, and finally to that “coed” soccer team we have. Why were plans not made so that Dorothy Barrett could have joined her team for the coach’s talks? Why was made to feel as though she was not a part of the team. As Sports Editor and Student Govern ment Association President, I challenge the Athletic Department to ensure, that the next Dorothy Barrett does not feel that way because having a “coed” team is a special thing if people do not realize it and we should keep the little diversity that we do have.
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