TO THE EDITOR:
Regarding Professors Margolis’ and Smith’s Oct. 14 letter, I find it disappointing that more students have not stepped into the discussion. Despite the many grumblings I hear among peers about the pervasive athletics-first culture here on campus, the majority of public dissension has been limited to academics.
Big-time sports trivializes our collective identity. Often, when I tell someone I go to UNC, the conversation immediately turns to sports. Before we can even begin to have a discussion on the University’s groundbreaking research, teaching, top-notch schools and departments, I must first — because I am polite — discuss the previous evenings’ football/basketball game. We are viewed as fans (fanatics) first and scholars second. Additionally, being a black male on this campus only makes the situation worse. On more than one occasion, I have been confused for being a revenue athlete. Is this what the public thinks about us? That the majority of us are here to shoot and run a ball?
Besides trivialization, there are larger implications. In North Carolina, we have a history of putting up a cognitive barrier between ourselves and reality. There have been institutions in the past that have reaped enormous profits off the hard work of exploited individuals. Those who were exploited had very little, if any, say in the matter, and certainly didn’t share in the profits. Last year, the NCAA made $871 million in revenue. History seems to be repeating itself.
Let me be the first to say that I am a student first and fanatic last, and it’s time we do something to change the culture here at UNC.
Jordan Walker ’14
Classics
