(12-28-2019 12:05 PM)nogretheogre Wrote:  

(12-28-2019 11:50 AM)TribeInTheBurg Wrote:  

(12-28-2019 09:04 AM)nogretheogre Wrote:  A "fire science" major, preparing for a career in fire and emergency services.

G.P.A. in high school was a 1-something and my G.P.A. right now is a 3-something.

“I’m going to be the first in my family to get a college degree. That’s amazing to me, and that’s because of football."

There is a major disconnect here, which is a good example of what is wrong with America's current educational system. What used to be essentially a community college, now wants to be a 4 year college with a football team. Traditional community college enrollment is falling because small schools like this are trying to grow and become real institutions. They are syphoning students who dont need (or probably belong in) a 4 year degree to get the job that they desire. The mid-to-lower tier schools (some of which we have in our own backyard) are desperately trying to do grow to flagship size, expanding rapidly over the last 20 years, but have become diploma mills instead of improving the quality of education. Graduates then wonder, why cant I get a great job?

That's not necessarily true. Not just at the D3 level, there have been plenty of players at W&M that would not have gotten in if not for football, but they worked hard and were able to get good grades in college. Many of the players will have their first experience with academic/study training when they get to college, and most football teams have tutoring available and/or mandatory study halls that can help students get and keep their grades up.

In this particular case, I don't think this guy will have a problem finding a job in fire & emergency services. His prospects probably compare favorably to an English degree from W&M.

A "1-something" GPA is a D average. That student should go to a 4-year degree? Europeans have this figured out. Students are divided earlier and the lower-performing students go to vocational schools. Do you really think Firemen need a 4 year degree? Most get there through highschool and then the Fire Academy. There are many paths to success. America is pushing all kids into the same path, which can actually be a disservice to them. There is a huge need for skilled laborers, with many employers unable to find adequate candidates. They are forced to on-the-job training. Aside from engineers and teachers, 4-year colleges were mostly not meant to satisfy this job-specific training. Im not saying these kids cannot succeed in a normal college atmosphere, but it seems that there are better ways for them to find a good-paying job. If they are late-bloomers and succeed in an associates program, they always have the option to reboot and go the other direction...but 75% will probably be content in their first choice.

I'm saying that it's not hard to believe that a 1-something in high school could turn into a 3-something legitimately. If their entire team had the same qualifications, then I'd agree that it's probably artificial.

Also, I don't know anything about Anna Maria. Why is it bad if it's a small D3 school offering 4-year degrees? All firemen don't need 4-year degrees, but if fire science is a step up from fire academy, then there need to be some firemen with 4-year degrees.

Bronson Yoder article:

https://www.elkharttruth.com/sports/high...8fb88.html

Great article. Yoder is a blue collar kid on and off the field. I love his mentality and how it translates to the field. I wish we had a whole team of Yoders.

(01-04-2020 06:21 PM)Tribe32 Wrote:  Great article. Yoder is a blue collar kid on and off the field. I love his mentality and how it translates to the field. I wish we had a whole team of Yoders.

I like that "whole team of Yoders" line. Who knows, if he continues to be a stud and keeps getting better every year, we might dump the Griffin mascot and adopt the Yoder (or maybe rename the Griffin to Yoder).

I also liked reading about how much he likes W&M and thinks that it is the place for him. In today's college landscape, it is easy to imagine other schools trying to poach him. Also kudos to Trevor Andrews for not "poisoning the well" even when Trevor was not retained on staff. A stand-up move.

Lastly, there is this quote from the article: "Starting kickoff returner Owen Wright fumbled during his first return of the season," said Yoder. "(Special teams) coach JZ (Josh Zidenberg) then gave me the opportunity to do kickoff returns.""

So, that is one time that a fumble actually paid big dividends!

Wally Pipp

Congrats to Hollis Mathis, Donovan Lester, Kane Everson & Bronson Yoder for academic excellence this past semester. #schoolIsCool https://t.co/m0i2jch1jq



Hope the rest of the class passed.

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