TO THE EDITOR:
I am extremely shocked and disappointed with how the media and other institutions are covering Mary Willingham’s research about literacy among student-athletes. Like many others, I find parts of her research to be unripe, but I believe that bashing her and undermining her hard work is contributing nothing to the actual problem. While there may be faults and mistakes in her research, let us not lose focus on the actual problem and the purpose of her research.
I respect Willingham for her sacrifices taken to better our community and increase literacy among students. Instead of referring to her in such negative light, she should be referred to as a change maker. What she is doing is bettering our world today and for generations to come. We often lose sight of our goals when something unexpected occurs. I hope that Willingham and UNC will bounce back from this minor setback and remember that the fight to ensure that student-athletes read on an acceptable grade level is not over. We will better our fight if we quit doing immature things like pointing fingers and name calling.
We must unite and push through this issue together. Student-athletes have been cheated of a great education for a while, but now is the time to give them what they deserve — superb athletics and a superb education.
Andre Eugene Tyson ’17
Political science
