PrintHow many of us have never attended a single Columbia sporting event, and won’t do so until we make our way uptown for our senior homecoming game? Even though my first-year roommate had a brief bout on the field hockey team, and a floormate of mine plays for the women’s basketball team, I (bashfully) count myself among this number.
In this week’s lead story, Trevor Cohen and Jim Pagels approach student life from the angle of the Columbia athlete. As an ever-visible presence within the student body often distinguished by their Columbia Athletics gear, athletes occupy a niche that the average Columbian may never pause to consider. The piece raises questions that many of us, even those of us who were athletes in high school, are unwilling to ask for fear of appearing disrespectful, prejudiced, or ignorant towards a wide swathe of our classmates. Are athletic recruits on the same academic tier as the average admitted Columbia student? Do athletes struggle to keep up with other students in class? If so, is this because of real differences in intelligence, or because of the impossible schedules they must maintain when in-season?
The writers attempt to demystify these questions by illustrating the culture on campus surrounding athletics and what it means, as an athlete, to be a subject of that culture.
While Jim and Trevor may not have all the answers, their conversations with individuals, ranging from athletes themselves to the head of the Columbia Athletic Department, shed light on the issue and offer a basis for honest reflection. Whether you’re a dedicated athlete or a die-hard eschewer of sports, we all ultimately came to Columbia to learn about each other. Read the story. You’ll gain insight into a subject that is so much a part of our college experiences, we are tempted to forget it is an issue at all.
Laura Booth
Managing Editor for Optics