‘Student-athlete’ clearly a term that no longer applies

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6:19 PM Thursday, June 23, 2011

Terrelle Pryor’s decision to leave OSU before his senior year highlights the fact that many young people are not “student athletes,” but “athlete students,” attending college only to play sports. They are only marginally invested in academics.

They are frequent recipients of full-ride scholarships (which should probably be called “athlete-ships,” since they have little to do with becoming scholarly). They put excessive emphasis on sports performance instead of grades.

When college (and high school) students become superstars and are worshipped for their sports prowess, it skews what education should be all about. It also contributes to a sense of entitlement and power that is difficult for most young people to handle.

The fact that Pryor obviously viewed OSU purely as a sports arena is sad. He may become an NFL player, but he won’t be a college graduate.

Tay Caplan

Dayton

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