iday, July 29,
Opinion
The Battalion
Page 5 • Monday, July 29,
oes A&M need a general studies degree?
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ihe same old argument has become tired:
just because the athletic department or
someone involved with an athletic team
sks for something, they are looking for pref
erential treatment. While this could be true in
ome instances, in the case of A&M head foot-
tall coach R.C. Slocum championing the
ause for the addition of a general studies program, it should be taken to heart.
Slocum would not be asking for a change as large as a general studies pro-
(ram unless it helped the football team. But in his request to help improve the
ithletic program, Slocum has stumbled upon something that will benefit the
ntire student population.
In an article in the San Antonio Express-News, incoming University presi
dent Robert Gates said there was “concern” that A&M’s current curriculum —
which currently lacks a general studies program — places it at a disadvantage in
ecruiting minority students and student-athletes.
Gates sees this as such an important problem he has commissioned a task force
o study the addition of a general studies program. According to the Express-News,
&M and Oklahoma State are the only Big 12 schools without a general studies cur
iculum. Texas has a program similar to general studies, but it is not referred to as
uch.
This inequality is a thorn in the side of A&M’s athletic programs,
earns at A&M are being asked to compete with one hand tied behind
their backs while trying to produce the same results as their Big 12
brethren who offer majors in general studies. This has hampered
success recently in athletic programs at A&M, and in a field where
results are the top priority, this is an important issue for the
A&M Athletic Department.
Other teams can, and most likely have, used the lack of a
general studies program against the Aggies in recruiting. While
not all sports are affected by this, football and basketball have
taken the brunt of the blow.
It is tough for A&M to compete against other schools when a
coach at another school can offer a prospective athlete a chance
at a general studies major with an easier curriculum. All A&M
has to offer is a major in some field the athlete may have no
desire to pursue.
If a general studies curriculum was in place, these athletes
would be able to sample a variety of subjects, and would gradu
ate with a degree that would better help them once their play
ing days are done.
“It’s a moral, ethical issue,” Slocum said to the Express-
News. “We must have a program where (student-athletes)
can be successful. But the things we need, you just don’t do
for athletics. The things we need for athletics are things that
Texas A&M needs.”
Regular students on campus are in the
same position as student-athletes. If a
student needs to switch majors because
of academics or a loss of interest in
tlieir major, they currently do not
liave many options. They are
pigeon-holed into a major which
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another major.
For those who say a general studies
program diminishes the academic quali
ty of the University, think again. Two of
the schools A&M is trying to emulate
in its quest for Vision 2020, the
University of Michigan and the
; s r d ve 3 ^ of Califomia-Los
1/3 utilities. Cora Angeles, have general studies pro
grams. Those schools have showed
it is possible to be recognized as a
top-10 university while still cater
ing to students’ needs.
A general studies program will
help to improve the University. Not just
in tenns of wins and losses, but in terms
of the quality of people who graduate.
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Doug Puentes is u senior
journalism major.
CAYLA CARR
Would lower A&M’s academic standards
ast fall, Athlon Sports magazine sur
veyed college football coaches to
determine college football players’
biggest distractions. Texas A&M
University football coach R.C.
Slocum suggested academics were
the biggest distraction to his foot
ball team’s success. On July 18 of this year, the Austin
American Statesman reported Slocum claimed the lack of a
general studies degree hurts A&M’s football recruiting.
Slocum has once again proven he could care less about aca
demia at Texas A&M. Slocum would rather the University
water down the curriculum to improve his recruiting efforts.
The academic integrity of A&M is being threatened by a
belly-aching football coach. A&M should not lower its aca
demic standards to recruit academically inept athletes.
Surprisingly, other administrators support Slocum’s plea. Wally
Groff, A&M’s athletic director, told the Statesman, “It behooves the
University to have those programs in order to achieve the diversity
the university is trying to achieve, not just in athletics.” Minorities
could take offense to this statement as meaning their academic stami
na is not up to par. Rather than trying to lower the standards by creat
ing a general studies degree, why not recruit those athletes who
excel in the classroom as well?
Dat Nguyen, a member of the Dallas Cowboys, and the all-
time leading tackier in school history, performed on and off
the field. He received his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M
in Agricultural Development and attended graduate
school. Slocum should direct his efforts towards
recruiting more athletes like Dat Nguyen and
increase both his graduation rate and football
team ranking.
In a July 24 Battalion article, Slocum was
quoted saying, “No matter how good of a player
you are, in some point in your life you will no
longer be a football player. So in order of relative impor
tance the academics should get a whole lot more attention
than the football.”
If only Slocum practiced what he preached. The goal of a
university is to provide students with adequate knowledge
for a career. If a general studies degree is offered, those stu
dents are cheated. The best interest of the student’s academic
career should be top priority, not their athletic career.
Students should accept the challenge of a difficult curricu
lum and coaches should not baby their players by
requesting a generic major. Not every college football
player is drafted by the NFL. As Slocum suggests, the
football career will one day end, some sooner than oth
ers. It is the duty of the Athletic Department and the
University to provide those students whose football
careers do not continue after college with another
alternative. According to the Statesman, Brian
Davis, assistant athletic director for aca
demic services at the University of
Texas, commented on recruit
ing efforts. He claimed UT
has no such major and
would not direct its atten
tion toward graduating
underqualified athletes.
A&M and Slocum should
take note. The goal of an
athletic program should be
to provide athletes with an
advantage after graduation.
Not only do they spend
countless hours on the playing
field, but they should also
receive a respectable degree
from one of the most academi
cally challenging Universities
in the state.
SARAH FOWLER • THE BATTALION
Cayla Carr is a senior
speech communication major.
Lack of lifeguards makes Texas beaches unsafe
South Padre beaches need solution to lifeguard shortage before more drown
- _ emniovees. the Coast Guard and even innocent bystanders have island.
LAUREL FRANCK
W hen Texans and tourists
head to the beaches of
South Padre Island for
some fun in the sun, they are usu-
a lly on the lookout for the com-
m on dangers — jellyfish, riptides
or even sharks. But what many do not realize is that South
Padre Island, home to some of the most popular beaches in the
U-S., is experiencing a vast shortage of properly trained life
guards. According to The Dallas Morning News, South Padre
Island and Cameron County officials say lifeguards are too
expensive and too much of a liability. Cameron County Judge
Gilberto Hinojosa estimated setting up lifeguards on the 10
miles of coast in Cameron County would cost at least $1 mil
lion, and the county does not have that kind ol money in its
budget. However, not having lifeguards could result in an even
•arger expense for South Padre.
South Padre Island serves more than 3.5 million overnight
guests per year and is among the top spring break destinations
for Americans, especially college students. It consists of more
^an 13 and one-half miles of city and county beaches, and
brings in tens of millions of dollars in revenue from tourists,
Specially during spring break and summer. Despite this, South
Padre Island beaches still do not have lifeguards.
Last year, seven people drowned in the gulf waters o t e
c oast of South Padre. This alone should alert officials to the
obvious fact professional lifeguards are needed. City anc county
employees, the Coast Guard and even innocent bystanders have
had to jump in and save drowning people. This should not be
happening, and could result in even more fatalities if something
is not done soon.
Officials have taken measures to compensate for the lack of
lifeguards. In May, flags and signs were set up explaining the
flag system at beach entry points, the Morning News reported.
Red is for dangerous conditions, yellow is for moderate condi
tions and blue alerts visitors to the presence of dangerous
marine life. Texas park rangers check twice a day to determine
water conditions and then post a flag accordingly. While this
system has been set up with good intentions, how much of a real
safeguard is it? People often ignore or simply do not notice
these types of warnings, and if this happens in South Padre,
drowning deaths could become an all-too-common horror.
County officials are also planning to use the Internet and
radio to notify people about water conditions, and to teach chil
dren about water safety by taking coloring books and videos to
schools. These are all helpful and worthy methods, but having
lifeguards would be the most fool-proof measure of all.
Professional, fully-trained lifeguards are a necessity to the
beaches of South Padre Island for a variety of reasons. First
and foremost, lifeguards would most likely lessen the occur
rence of drowning fatalities and further ensure the safety of all
beach-goers. People go to the beach to have fun and relax. City
and county officials should provide lifeguards as a courtesy to
all visitors because they bring business and revenue to the
island.
Another reason lifeguards are needed is because it is not the
responsibility of the Coast Guard or that of beach-goers to res
cue flailing swimmers. They should not have to be on constant
alert and risk their own lives. According to the Morning News,
the Coast Guard responded to 79 calls for struggling swimmers
in 2001. It was able to rescue 25, and the remaining 54 either
saved themselves by swimming to shore or were rescued by
beach workers or beach-goers. As Robert Brown, a Coast
Guard firefighter said to the Morning News, "It gets real risky
because one person goes down, then everybody goes to try and
save them."
Lifeguards are trained to deal with panicked, drowning peo
ple — ordinary beach-goers are not. One person drowning could
pull down those trying to save them, resulting in an even bigger
tragedy.
City and county officials have taken steps in the right direc
tion with the limited means they have. However, they should
seriously consider the employment of professional lifeguards*
Perhaps they should work with business and hotel owners to
lessen the cost and make this possible. This would assist in pro
tecting the safety and happiness of all beach-goers, which
should be the top priority for all involved.
Laurel Franck is a junior
English major.