SPORTS
October 25,2013
15
APSA’s proposed structure puts sports on a pedestal
BY IAN PENNY
Staff WRiTi«
Never mind the fact that I had
to log into GuilfordNet with a
username and password just to
access the Administrative and
Program Services Assessment
draft report. Perhaps I am alone
in thinking this information
should be easier to obtain.
In the 116-page PDF that
is the APSA report, many
recommendations are suggested
regarding the future funding
of student, faculty and
administrative programs at
Guilford College.
There is a simple rubric
for each program's future:
enhance, maintain, restructure or
eliminate.
Moving forward, the school's
tight budget dictates that some
programs potentially face
significant cutbacks or even
outright elimination.
The Friends Center and the
Bonner Center must downsize,
the Art Gallery faces possible
elimination, and resources such
as the Conflict Resolution Center
and Multicultural Education
Department are threatened.
What has been recommended
for athletics?
Only one major change has
been suggested regarding
Guilford's Athletic Department.
Currently, the head basketball
coach doubles as the college's
athletic director. But within the
next few years, as proposed by
the APSA committee, the athletic
director position will become its
own separate entity and no longer
tied to any coaching position.
And that is it. No other changes
are recommended thus far.
"I am a little bit concerned
that an unfair amount of cuts
have been put on programs
that I love and not athletics,"
said sophomore and Quaker
Leadership Scholars Program
member Phoebe Hogue-Rodley.
Is this fair? Should community
be cut before athletics? Better yet,
should additional positions be
created during a time of financial
crisis?
Do not get me wrong, sports are
an important part of student life
and they do provide community
benefits.
A few weekends back,
when Guilford played Averett
University for Homecoming,
the campus was abuzz in rain-
drizzled activities, tours and
tailgating.
The spectacle was a community
building experience more than
anything else.
This goodwill pales in
comparison to the work done by
non-athletic organizations that
are facing cuts and restructuring.
"We have to fulfill 140 hours
(of community service) per
semester," said first-year Bonner
Scholar Danny Tejeda.
That is almost six full days
of volunteering a semester per
student.
Guilford should face the facts:
this is a small Division III school.
It is not an athletic powerhouse
by any means. Community is
everything.
Even according to the NCAA,
Division III places emphasis
on having student-athletes
"integrated on campus and
treated like all other members of
the general student body, keeping
them focused on being a student
first." %
This means less time at practice
and shorter playing schedules,
but more time in class and —
most importantly — more time to
be involved with campus life.
In the APSA report, it may
say that the athletic diirector
is marked for "restructure" in
the same way as the Center for
Continuing Education or Campus
Ministries are on the rubric.
Adding a position, however,
seems like an enhancement rather
than a cut.
Backhandedly enhancing
sports in this manner while
important campus programs face
cuts seems faulty.
What programs will be left on
campus for student-athletes to be
involved in?
Athletics has never been the
priority. Aside from providing
a strong academic curriculum,
Guilford prides itself in the social
atmosphere, devotion to equality
and dedication to service that
mold the school's image.
Without these programs the
Guilford community, student-
athletes and the Athletic
Department included, suffers.
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Calendar of January Term deadlines
Monday, Oct; 28
Grant application
deadline for J-Term.
Thursday, Nov. 7
Students notified
of acceptance for
activity and grant
awards for programs
at Guilford.
Nov. 11-18
Registration for
J-Term at Guilford
and for Spring
semester 2014.
Friday, Jan. 3
J-Term begins at
Guilford, unless your
expejrience begins on
another date.
Readers of ‘Sports section do branch out
‘Mil III! liny'
BY TY GOOCH
Staff Writbii
Just a few days ago, I thought that sports
readers only read the Sports section. I was wrong.
Sports readers: this is an apology to you.
It all started when I was sitting in class listening
to a guest speaker talk about The Guilfordian's
Sports section. Slouched in my seat, I listened
to the speaker go over the basics: find a source,
interview them and report out. Nothing I had not
heard before.
But then something caught my ear.
"The problem with writing for the Sports
section is that sports readers usually only read
the Sports section and vice versa," said the guest
speaker. "We don't really know why, but that's
the way it is."
I sat up straight.
How could this be? Do sports readers really
only read the Sports section?
Class dismissed and I approached the guest
speaker. As a result of our brief encounter, I
had a new story to write. I was going to get to
the bottom of why sports readers only read the
Sports section.
I was quickly made aware that sports readers
do, in fact, read the other sections.
"I make it a point to get a copy of the paper,"
said Director of Sports Information and Assistant
Director of Athletics Dave Walters. "I flip through
it and stop at articles that grab my attention.
Sometimes articles are in World & Nation,
sometimes they're in Features and sometimes
they're in Sports."
Walters continued, revealing what makes a
story attractive.
"The stories that capture my attention most
frequently are articles relevant to current
Guilford events and students," said Walters.
Rugby player and junior Rich Adamson had a
similar view.
"When something grabs my attention, it's
about someone I know," said Adamson.
First-year Iain Parrott also prefers articles
related to students.
"I'd like to see more articles about changes
that affect students," said Parrott.
Unlike Walters, however, Parrott also
appreciates articles that cover off-campus events.
"Guilford is a bubble," said Parrott. "I like
articles covering Greensboro and the surrounding
area."
First-year lacrosse player Austin Huddle
agreed.
"While I do look at the Sports section first, I
go on to read the whole issue," said Huddle. "I
like war and politics. I like how world events are
mixed in with campus news."
On the other hand, some readers are more
concerned about the mood of a story rather than
its subject.
"I'm looking for positive stories," said football
coach Chris Rusciewicz. "I'll read any story that
is positive."
Rusciewicz also gave insight on what he
would like to see more of.
"I like stories of people saving somebody or
giving back to the community," said Rusciewicz.
"I like to read up on what other people are
doing."
And community involvement is exactly what
first-year Darion Bayles wants the Sports section
to focus on.
"We need more health related articles," said
Bayles. "An article on eating disorder awareness
would be great, as many students suffer in
silence."
Sports readers like senior Lawrence Blake
are not so concerned with a story's content. For
Blake, only a visually appealing story will catch
his eye.
"I look for a nice picture or a good title," said
Blake.
While all of these readers have different
reasons for reading certain articles, it was made
clear to me that they do not favor the Sports
section above other sections.
"I am certainly not drawn to the Sports
section," said Walters.
Adamson also admitted to not being drawn to
Sports when he said that he mainly reads other
sections.
While Sports readers' reasons for exploring the
other sections differ, they all made it clear that
they do branch out.
Yes, Sports readers read sports, but they are
not calling timeout after doing so.