I believe the Sharp Center, a new facility that will break ground this November, is an unnecessary project. The Sharp Center is a facility that will help student athletes with their academics. What bothers me is not the fact athletes should study, but there are already sufficient facilities to help students with their studies. Is something stopping them from using the PASS Center or the university Writing Center? It is true the $4.1 million project is being funded by donations, but is there a reason we should accommodate athletes yet again? As a serious student at this school, I see no reason these student athletes should not have academic success already. For instance, the women's tennis team had one-half of its members receive academic recognition this past year. Is there something stopping the football team from achieving the same academic success? Or is it just not a priority? When should we stop bending the rules for athletes just because they have athletic ability? Last time I paid a huge tuition bill I paid it to a university, not a sports club. We already give enough full scholarships to people who add nothing to the reputation of this school. Why does the school continue to alienate potential donors? Oh, I guess the school forgot that academic prowess is more likely to help students earn a living than a low major and four years of college athletics. This project is just another example of the entire university accommodating itself to a small minority of athletes.
--David Krzyzanowski is a junior mechanical engineering major--
From the August 06, 2002 Letters to the Editor in the UD