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12/09/09
12/09/09
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12/09/09
1) They are loaners - they are not keeping them.
2) A LOT of athletes are there purely on scholarship and their families may not be able to afford to buy them a computer. This was the case with my family. I had to get a job.
3) Athletes who play for the school are generally not allowed to have a job - thus they may not be able to pay for their own laptop.
4) Sure, they could use the computer labs on campus, but when they are constantly traveling for games, how are they going to do that?
5) Athletics bring in a LOT of revenue dollars to the university. The price of these MacBooks are small by comparison.
I wasn't an athlete until after college but not all college athletes are stupid. I come from a family full of scholar athletes. Just thought I'd clear that up before the sports bashing began.
12/09/09
1.) Why are only the athletes given laptops and not those who add to the prestige of the university through their intelligence and SAT/ACT scores? All students who bring any kind of attention to the university should be given loaners.
2.) Many students are at university solely on scholarships and their families cannot afford computers.
3.) While they may not be able to have a job (if there on scholarship), the university pays for their housing, their schooling, food, and their tuition. Many students who are there on scholarship or who have a job struggle to pay for those and, even with a job, cannot afford a laptop.
4.) This is the only valid argument so far; however, it could be argued that the athletes only be given access to the laptops during the on-season and not the off season. Additionally, if the computer labs are not open 24/7, then those who cannot afford laptops should be given a loaner as well.
5.) This claim is an oft stated claim, bot one that is patently false. Very few university athletic departments make a profit or even break even, such as Notre Dame, USC, and Michigan. Even if a university has a profitable athletic program, the funds go to cover the costs of those other programs which are not profitable.
I know many an intelligent athlete and just as many who only got through college due to pressure put on professors from the athletics department. The question needs to be addressed as to why they are deserving of special treatment.
12/09/09
I went to school solely on academic scholarship, grants, and loans. I didn't get a laptop but they did pay for my housing. But I guess I wasn't bringing them any money, so...
12/09/09
Why were only the people who play sports given laptops? Ridiculous.
12/09/09
Mind you, I have no problem with athletics programs and departments, and actually think they offer something for the university, I am just sick of the special treatment the athletes get and the fallacious arguments used to prop them up.
12/09/09
12/09/09
12/09/09
I would never want to buy a high end Dell, but I would be ecstatic if I was given one.
12/09/09
12/09/09
However, if you were even loaned a premium computer to use for a period of time, unless you were some crazed Windows fanboy, you wouldn't be displeased, unless you were unhappy that they had to take it away afterwards.
12/09/09
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12/09/09
12/09/09
[blog.al.com]
12/09/09
"Is this a good idea, or would it be more important to construct a building dedicated only for athletes to put in required study hours?"
Neither. There are plenty of other students who need laptops or who use university loaners and there are existing study facilities for all to use.
I also don't think all athletics departments rape schools for funds, but most do. I have no problem with that. My problem is when athletes are given special treatment. To me, being given a laptop, textbooks, tutors, and special buildings for them to study constitutes special treatment. That is where my problem lies.
12/11/09
12/08/09
11/30/09
Subwoofers are not large for no reason.
12/01/09
Does the "double negative" give the same meaning in this case as : "Subwoofers are large for a reason"???
The more we read it, the more confused we got...
11/30/09
11/30/09
11/30/09
edit: No reason for this edit...
11/25/09
11/25/09
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11/25/09
I kinda want to just give you a hug and tell you it's going to be O.K.
11/25/09