NCAA Tournament: Life of a Student-Athlete

Hey guys!  I’m sitting in my hotel room in Lexington, KY right now anxiously awaiting our game tomorrow vs. Butler.  The game is at 12:40 on TruTV if you want to check it out!

Anyway, I’ve found it very difficult to focus on schoolwork the past couple days due to the practice, travel, and just overall hoopla surrounding the NCAA Tournament.  I’ve been reading all of your blogs, thinking of cases, and researching guys like Bernie Madoff and Pete Rose.  This blog and class is a great example of why I love Bucknell so much – I’ve learned and experienced so many valuable things in my 4 years here.  I love the fact that student-athletes are expected to get ‘it’ 🙂 done in the classroom just as much as in their respective sport.  A lot of people in the media criticize the NCAA or specific universities for using the term ‘student-athletes’ too loosely (read this story about about Steven Kaspar on our team: http://www.cbssports.com/general/blog/gregg-doyel/21918004/bucknell-problems-are-nerd-stuff), but at Bucknell, the term shines bright in my opinion.  And I love that!

Where am I trying to with this… Well, after not being able to find a topic/case for my paper after thinking about it the past couple days, I think I am going to write about the issue surrounding NCAA athletes and how they cannot be paid by their universities.  Today I was asked by a reporter if the academic rigor at Bucknell helps us as players on the court.  It was an interesting question and one that not too many people have asked me in the past.  It made me think, and I ultimately said that yes, it does help us on the court, but our experiences on the court help us as students, too!  I’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs throughout my four years here at Bucknell — in the classroom, on the court, and MANY places in-between.

I get frustrated when people write off athletics as non-stimulating and not a ‘learning experience.’  I get equally as frustrated when I read of players at universities not going to class or not valuing their education.  I get even MORE frustrated when I hear of people who just do their homework all day or just play their sport all day.  There are many, many things to enjoy in life and while being dedicated in driven is important, so is balance! 

So in regards to my paper, I’m going to argue that student-athletes should be paid.  Not because they are ‘special’ or ‘privileged’.  Rather, because their job is just as important, and just as much as meaningful as a summer internship or working as a tutor.  If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine, that’s your opinion.  But I’ve learned so much from being an athlete and I think my career has helped me mature and develop to be the person I am today.

Alright, I’m off to bed.  ‘Ray Bucknell!!!

Wal-Mart: Save Money. Live Worse.

Everyone has heard of Wal-Mart. Some may have heard of its impressive supply chain management, while to most others, Wal-Mart is known for its everyday low prices and huge assortment of inventory, providing its customers with practically everything they could possibly need. For Bucknell students, Wal-Mart is a necessity. It’s the perfect one-stop shop that suits the schedule of the rushed college student. I’ve never been to the Wal-Mart in town without seeing at least a few Bucknellians stocking up on food or party supplies. Most customers leave the superstore satisfied with their shopping experience as long as they did not become too overwhelmed by the vastness of the store. The main problem to consider here is how many Wal-Mart employees leave the store after their shift satisfied with their job?

I’ve recently discovered some pretty disturbing news about Wal-Mart and the way that employees are treated there in general. The company is essentially blocking out the ways that employees are able to speak out. Unions are strongly discouraged by the company and oftentimes, the typical Wal-Mart employee does not have the extra money available to pay for union dues. Even the new employee orientation has a section dedicated to preaching the evils of unions. Wal-Mart labor protests have arisen in the last year and were aimed at pressing Wal-Mart to increase wages, stop cutting workers’ hours, and to treat employees with respect. And these protesters did not all come from the same Wal-Mart store or even the same state, they came from over 28 stores and 12 different states.

Wal-Mart Labor Protests

Wal-Mart’s corporate culture is built around the idea of cutting costs to provide its customers with the low prices that they expect. The employees are also becoming victim to this low-cost strategy. Minimum wage is hardly enough to support one person, let alone a family. It seems as if the corporate structure of Wal-Mart is doing everything it can to keep its employees below the poverty line. Therefore it can remain in its position of power to keep its employees voiceless. This practice hardly seems to be the least bit ethical. The employees of Wal-Mart deserve to be able to voice their problems and speak out against the wrongs that may be occurring in the workplace. Wal-Mart’s hindering of this basic right is flat-out unethical.