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Should we also cancel the drama program, debate team, musical ensembles, and school newspaper?

• jhaglund 16y ago
  Of course not. The question is does the amount we spend on athletics (millions) really do anything for academics? No one is saying athletics have no place in university. But why are we spending so much on it, compared to the drama program, debate team, musical ensembles, and school newspaper? When those subjects which tie into academics better than athletics.
  • micks56 16y ago
    > No one is saying athletics have no place in university. burgerbrain seems to be saying this, which is what I responded to. > When those subjects which tie into academics better than athletics. Tie in differently, not better. There are many ways to learn and many lessons to be learned. Drama, debate, music, newspaper, and sports, among others, are all different paths to learn those lessons. I am not justifying the large amounts of money spent on sports programs. What I am saying is that sports do educate people and provide an important opportunity for students in many ways. Saying "nothing is learned while playing sports" is false.
    • burgerbrain 16y ago
      "> No one is saying athletics have no place in university. burgerbrain seems to be saying this" Absolutely incorrect. I merely believe they should not receive disproportionate funding, compared to other non-academic clubs; and assert that like other non-academic clubs, they should play absolutely no role in acceptance. "Tie in differently, not better" BULLSHIT. Journalism (newspaper club) is a respected academic study. Tackling dudes on a lawn over a ball is not. Drama, debate, and music are similarly intellectual endeavours, not sports. "What I am saying is that sports do educate people" Spoken like a true meathead. Even if they did educate, which is a laughable claim, they have no place in the curriculum of universities.
      • asr 16y ago
        Please keep this respectful. I happen to agree with you but there's way too much virulence running through this post (and much of this thread, IMHO).
• burgerbrain 16y ago
  No, because those things are of actual intellectual interest. They are what schools are for.
  • micks56 16y ago
    In college I took a course called "Physics of Alpine Skiing." A manufacturing engineering professor taught the course. He was a big ski racer in his younger days. While searching for a college major, and generally just drifting along, a mentor at his school explained to him that skiing is machining. This got the professor interested in manufacturing engineering. The professor ended up having a successful collegiate ski race career AND an inspired academic career. College graduate became PhD graduate and eventually a tenured full professor at a major engineering research university. The professor's interest in skiing gave him direction for his life's work. Professor performs manufacturing and machining research, using his intuition and experience from the slopes and applies it in his labs. This professor is a campus favorite, inspiring many in his courses, and often advises senior design projects that deal with winter sports technologies, which gives those students skills that are valuable in the workplace. Without a ski race program this person would not have even been in college. He would have been skiing and skiing only. The US would not have had a competent manufacturing researcher and professor. This seems to show benefit from sports programs. No?
    • nazgulnarsil 16y ago
      because anecdotes trump data
      • micks56 16y ago
        Please, I never insinuated that. burgerbrain said sports have no intellectual value and don't belong on campus. I gave a concrete example of how they did help. That is all. There is a lot of athlete-hating in this thread.
    • burgerbrain 16y ago
      "In college I took a course..." Key part of your post. American Football is not a course, and contains no intellectual content. Pretending otherwise just makes you look a fool.