Athletes not ‘God’s gift’ to University

Emily Giometti should quit putting student athletes on a pedestal. Just because they can play a sport well doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be reprimanded for their actions.

Billy Humphrey deserves to be kicked off the team or given a few games of bench warming, in my opinion. Maybe after the first arrest, he deserved a second chance. But since he messed it up and got arrested a second time, no matter what for, he needs to be punished for his wrongdoing.

Student athletes walk around campus like they are God’s gift to the rest of the student body.

Not to me.

The 2007 football season was my first and I’ve only been to one basketball game. I enjoyed myself, don’t get me wrong, but they deserve the same punishment as any other student. They worked hard to get to where they are and should continue to work hard to keep that place on the team.

Whether they like it or not, they signed a contract to be a student athlete and, ultimately, a role model and spokesperson of the University. If the University is seen as a party school, it sure doesn’t help when a basketball player gets arrested and it involves alcohol.

It’s time they step up and quit acting like they are Greek gods and goddesses. They are students first, athletes second.

Although I’ve never been arrested, if I ever do find myself in that predicament, I won’t expect special treatment from my boss because I do my job well. He has every right to fire me if he wants. I can be replaced.

These athletes need to reevaluate what is important to them and understand that just because they wear a jersey doesn’t make them any better than the quiet girl sitting next to them on the bus.

Lynsey Jackson
Junior, Covington
Animal Science

L. Ray criticizers, just ‘pipe down’

Although I have found L. Ray’s cartoons to be a bit disappointing at times, I feel it necessary to defend her in light of Jeremiah Johnson’s recent attack on her in Monday’s letter to the editor.

Johnson, you say the cartoons must have jokes. If I remember correctly your Sept. 13, 2007, attempt at cartooning left me more disappointed than Colin Dunlop’s cravings for chocolate milk as stated in his Monday column. Further, in Bill Richards’ absence during the fall of 2006, I tried my hand at cartooning as well. I was terrible at it, something I will quickly admit, but I sure can’t say that what I did was any better than what L. Ray is doing.

So, unless you have been practicing for your triumphant return to the editorial cartoon box, pipe down.

JOSH D. WEISS
Senior, Roswell
Newspapers and Sociology

Irritation at alert drill unreasonable

In response to Jerome Tracy’s irritation of being awoken at 9:10 a.m. by the UGAAlert system, I would just like to say that reading his response at 8:50 a.m. was probably much more annoying.

How could someone be annoyed at a drill that possibly could save his life? In order for the University to know if the system is working right, they need to have drills.

The time may not have been so convenient (I was taking a quiz, but since I knew my phone ringing would be a disturbance, I silenced it . an idea Mr. Tracy might want to consider), but when is an emergency convenient?

And, the University did send out an e-mail saying there would be a drill on Friday.

I’m sure any student on the Virginia Tech campus on April 16, 2007, would not have complained had they received a call at 9:10, so why should we?

Finally, when did 9:10 a.m. become too early to wake up?

As college students preparing to go into the work field, most of us will be working 9 to 5 jobs. Perhaps we should all grow up a little and appreciate the help the University is offering.

Shannon Hanby
Sophomore, Lilburn
Health Promotion and Behavior