University of South Carolina Libraries
.editorials Lofty standards set for athletes George Rogers' story seemed like a fairy tale, or a modern version of the American dream. He was poor. He came to USC from a small town in Georgia. He left USC as the leading rusher in college football and the recipient of the Heisman Trophy. The New Orleans Saints made Rogers the first player chosen in the National Football League draft.He responded by leading the NFL in rushing and capturing rookie-of-the-year honors. uui men a ixcw ui '^aiw wcwapaj;ci ic^uiicu that, Rogers told investigators he purchased $10,000 of cocaine during his first season. When USC students were asked their reaction to the report, the word "disappointed" was used. The Columbia Record reported that parents of some campers at USC's Richard Bell Football Camp were concerned about 4'a drug dealer vxwgcia; ruining LU uctxiip. The man whom Carolina fans had treated like a god had apparently let them down by being human. This is not to excuse Rogers, if the reported cocaine purchases are accurate. But unfortunately drug use has become common in our society. Time's July 6, 1981 cover featured a picture of a martini glass filled with cocaine and the words "High On Cocaine, A Drug with StatusAnd Menace." In the high-paying environment of professional sports that Rogers is in, reports of cocaine purchases should come as little surprise But they are a surprise. Our society has a tendency to revere its athletes and make heroes of them. For the athlete who can attract the most fans, the rewards can be staggering,as in Magic Johnson's 25-year, $25?million basketball contract. And because these huge sums are paid to athletes, society expects heroic behavior. This standard is Rogers' problem. If he has made a mistake, somehow society will feel cheated. Athletes are no better or worse than society as a whole ; if athletes are paid more than the average person, it is because society places a high value on entertainment. Today's professional athletes find themselves in a high-paying and high-pressure environment. Society displays little tolerance for substandard performance; cheers become boos A. overnigni. Society also demands access to the heroes it has created. The athlete who does not talk to the press is branded arrogant or reclusive. If Rogers had been a large corporation executive rather than a professional football player, reports of cocaine purchases probably would not have been published and few people would have cared. But Rogers is in a highly visible rirofpssion anH ic v.y w*uvtMj w VV/U l/U OVA^lClJf O judgment. Society would do better if it treated its athletes as humans who are victim to the same failings as everyone else. Athletes should not be excused for improper behavior, but society should understand that simply because athletes have extraordinary physical ability, they do not necessarily have extraordinary morals. i Gamecock??-? | Editor-in-Chief Richard Meyers Copy Desk Chief News Editor Entertainment Editor David DeWitt Forrest Brown Sally McGill Editorial Page Editor Photo Editor Advertising Manager ; Chris Handal Capers Hammond Linda S. Haines Business Manager (?eneral Manager Production Manager Jean Hatchell Jerry Ilrewer Mark McEwan Adviser Mark Ethridge Jr Newsroom 777 7181 Advertising 777 4249 Business Office 777 3888 Production 777 2833 The Gamecock welcomes letters and guest editorials. All letters and guest editorials must be typewritten, triple spaced on a 65 space line Letters should be no longer than 300 words and guest editorials should be limited to one newsworthy subject no longer than four typed pages. Letters and guest editorials MUST be signed with the writer's name, telephone number, mailing address, class standing or faculty position and major. Pseudonyms are unacceptable, but thv writer's name may he withheld upon request. We reserve the righf to edit finest editorials and letters Address letters and columns to Editorial Pane Editor. Gamecork. Drawei I A. (JSC, Columbia. S C. 2920H E fMHMMlHMaill If INIW III -| i Hhl Hui^Lltl fc .letters f?.i _ dcnoois mus Editor: r It was very interesting to read John s Van Dalen's guest editorial in the v June 30th issue of the Gamecock. s Although I do agree with some of Mr. f Van Dalen's assertions, I find myself c opposed to many of his contentions. First, I do agree that liberal arts is c an important part of a college t education. I particularly enjoyed a f poetry course I had last spring, but c the course will do little to help my s employability when I graduate. 1 Mr. Van Dalen is right when he says g that these are less than idealistic c times for college. Idealism is not t needed. Realism is, and a realistic r approach to life will tell a college student that the job market is not able a t O KcArK liKr*r?a 1 o r* ? tv umovi iky ltuui ai ai co iiiajut d. Jj Mr. Van Dalen states in his editorial o that "colleges and universities may ti be tempted to succumb to the social t forces motivating this attitude and become increasingly ambivalent n about their broad educational e requirements." I would argue that v this is not so bad. n To survive, a college or university a Liberal arts provic By Peter C. Sederberg Statistics are unkind to the liberal arts colleges flock to the professional scho majoring in the traditional arts and science are not foolish; business and govei specialists, and in a hazardous job mar person pays attention to demand. Faculties of threatened liberal art disc supporters in public and private foundatioi the defense of humanistic education. Justifi have considerable merit: the intrinsic v cultivated individual, the flexibility of mint generalist, the threat of obsolescen specialization, and the personal value of de\ of interests to save one from the boredom usually accompanies any profession af decades. Our "prudent" students would b all of these before committing themselves t life at age 18. Another support may be offered for the be arts ? their survival preserves an arena < societv. Authoritarian enuprnmpntc nf 1 the liberal arts with considerable suspici< time-servers, and careerists can be eas i ly a a regime with sufficient material resour writers, theoretical scientists and social p! much more troublesome group. Their possesses a degree of unpredictability .the; Thoreau's apt phrase, to a different drummi Typically, such behavior is attr humanistically educated person's quest for tive not always compatible with regime-sar Yet, the relation between a liberal educa may be stated more precisely. "Freedom" i self-directed action. Freedom, thus, has I that we choose our own ends and have the them. Freedom cannot be unlimited, for not tolerated in even an open society, and resources implies that some acceptabl unrealized. Which goals are acceptable ar ought to be distributed are essentially quest Apart from these thorny issues of justice problem exists: How ran we know the f*n< S?LIE]/? RE/ii .?fe t serve stud nust adequately serve the needs of its tudents. If a technical education is vhat the students want, then colleges md universities are only serving their unction by adjusting their :urriculums. Mr. Van Dalen's arguments run :ounter to eacn otner. it, as ne argues, he changing society will have a need or "jobs which rely on interpersonal :ommunication, creative solutions to ocial problems, beneficial use of eisure time, and matters dealing in [eneral with inmproving the quality if life . . people who have the >ackground and education to fill these oles will be hired. When graduates with these skills ire in demand (as Mr. Van Dalen redicts they will be), the importance if a liberal arts education will rise to he level of importance Mr. Van Dalen hinks it deserves. Whether Mr. Van Dalen likes it or lot, we live in a supply-and-demand conomy. To survive, any institution, /hether it is business or educational, nust be able to meet demands. The uto industry found this out. The loQ flovihilitw nr< IUU fl 1UAIMIIII y f H 8l . Students at our ols rather than truly our own, that s. These students existence? -nment demand Certainly, from the ket, the prudent to manipulate us to s order depends upon iplines and their kindly labeled by soc is have rallied to I suggest that our cations they offer extent they reflect o ralue of being a emerge from unstru I exhibited by the experiment through ce from over- through which poter ^eloping a variety are tried, and a few with routine that children from the coi ter two or tree to encounter interest ! wise to consider ignorant, o a "locked-step" Arenas of play available, even to ? ileaguered liberal liberal education j )f freedom in our programs, in contra eft and right view along predetermine an. Technocrats, education does not s iccommodated by By undertaking t ces. But artists, unrelated areas, one hilosophers are a liberal education all behavior always terest. \f often march, in Although only a fe\ er. be immediate! ysele< ibuted to the the others provides f truth, an objec- upon as the need arii ictioned reality. be a resource for self tion and freedom Through unstructu nay be defined as develop interests th two components: absolutely determin means to pursue sonal characteristic: portunities for "pla all ends can be citizens willing to exj the scarcity of ~-J WUI anu ur e ends will go freedom. id how resources ions of justice. ~ ~ " 7 another serious * a"thor ,s a Prof< Is we pursue are and '^ernatumal Stv <sinz(*i^c^A/eu?-yMy ants' needs public no longer wants or can afford huge gas guzzlers. Because the American auto industry did not meet the demands of the American public, it has recently found itself in financial trouble. Likewise, how long can an institution of higher learning last if it continues to churn out graduates who cannot compete in the job market? Any institution must adapt to survive. That may not be idealism, but it is realism. And I somehow doubt the situation is as dire as Mr. Van Dalen says it is, for, as stated earlier, there will be a need for liberallyeducated persons. Finally, I think it is an insult to imply that liberal arts majors hold a monopoly on thinking, and that people with a technical major are capable of making only superficial decisions. I would not have expected such a generalization from someone defending liberal arts, because it helps one make more enlightened decisions. Tom Schmult Interdisciplinary studies senior jserves freedom lest editorial they have not been manipulated into ; moment we leave the womb, others try uit their purposes. Indeed, any civilized some successful manipulation, more ial scientists as socialization. purposes are more truly our own to the ur genuine interests. Genuine interests ctured experimentation. Children often playing. Play provides them a means itial interests can be rehearsed; many arP ITncfrn^tnroH nlniinrt fpnac ntrols of adults' games and allows them s of which they might otherwise remain -unstructured experimentation-are adults, and an appropriately designed jrovides one. Professional education st, channel students and their interests ed paths. A well-exploited liberal tructure a person in the same manner. o study an assortment of essentially s that may even undercut one another, a ows for the rehearsal of an array of in v oi me alternatives so encountered may :ted for further exploration, exposure to or an "interest pool" that can be drawn >es. A liberal education at one time may -innovation at some later time, red experimentation we may be able to at are neither externally imposed not ed by our previously established per5. A liberal education is one of the opy" a free society provides for those ;)loit it. The demise of these programs in uversiues, men, shrinks the arena of ?sfior in the Department of Government (die.';