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Student-Athlete Relations
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CrabCake Away
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Post: #1
Student-Athlete Relations
In the most current edition of the Rice Thresher, one of many interesting editorials which caught my attention is linked here:

http://www.ricethresher.org/recent-alleg...-1.3021082

I would be interested in thoughts regarding the piece. As a newcomer to this forum and not a Rice University alumnus, I cannot objectively weigh-in on this editorial and I'm hoping to gain a better understanding of some of the issues (this was not the atmosphere I encountered in my days at my alma mater).

Thank you in advance for your wisdom!
04-05-2013 03:27 PM
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mrbig Offline
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Post: #2
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
The folks on this board have been having these discussions for years. The one thing I can say with near-certainty ... there is no silver bullet.

Some of the athletes need to reach out more and some of the non-athletes need to reach out more. There are many examples of athletes who integrated very well with non-athlete students, Ryan Berry being an easy example. But there is always more that can be done, particularly with the bigger sports of football, men's basketball, and baseball.

Non-athletes need to go to more games and matches, because they will have fun if they are going with their friends and cheering for their college.

The athletic department needs to do more to lure non-athletes to the games.

Those are just the easy generalitites.
(This post was last modified: 04-05-2013 03:53 PM by mrbig.)
04-05-2013 03:52 PM
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texd Offline
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Post: #3
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
(04-05-2013 03:27 PM)CrabCake Wrote:  As a newcomer to this forum and not a Rice University alumnus, I cannot objectively weigh-in

As many of the rest of us are long-time Members of Parliament and Rice U alums, I assure you you're more likely in a position to do so than we are.
04-05-2013 07:52 PM
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75src Offline
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Post: #4
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
Athletes and non-athletes know each other more at Rice than at the big state univeristies. If you look at the football programs for ESUs that list their majors, you find that most of them are stuck off in some obscure jellyroll major such as Parks and Wildlife, Rural Sociology etc. The ESUs do not have anythig like our college system.


(04-05-2013 03:52 PM)mrbig Wrote:  The folks on this board have been having these discussions for years. The one thing I can say with near-certainty ... there is no silver bullet.

Some of the athletes need to reach out more and some of the non-athletes need to reach out more. There are many examples of athletes who integrated very well with non-athlete students, Ryan Berry being an easy example. But there is always more that can be done, particularly with the bigger sports of football, men's basketball, and baseball.

Non-athletes need to go to more games and matches, because they will have fun if they are going with their friends and cheering for their college.

The athletic department needs to do more to lure non-athletes to the games.

Those are just the easy generalitites.
04-08-2013 03:52 PM
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owl40 Offline
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Post: #5
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
A good article. One of the things we don't talk about is how the current students can help w/ the administration/BoT to make Rice Athletics more competitive. We just assume they are apathetic and can't play a role. Thought this article did that by making point that the administration can step-up to help put the athletes on a bigger/better stage.

Don't usually see many 'pro' Rice athletic articles coming from Thresher and that is came from the Kazemi/RG situation the a starting point. I liked the author challenged the students to help do their part. Good stuff.
04-08-2013 04:41 PM
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mrbig Offline
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Post: #6
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
(04-08-2013 03:52 PM)75src Wrote:  Athletes and non-athletes know each other more at Rice than at the big state univeristies. If you look at the football programs for ESUs that list their majors, you find that most of them are stuck off in some obscure jellyroll major such as Parks and Wildlife, Rural Sociology etc. The ESUs do not have anythig like our college system.


(04-05-2013 03:52 PM)mrbig Wrote:  The folks on this board have been having these discussions for years. The one thing I can say with near-certainty ... there is no silver bullet.

Some of the athletes need to reach out more and some of the non-athletes need to reach out more. There are many examples of athletes who integrated very well with non-athlete students, Ryan Berry being an easy example. But there is always more that can be done, particularly with the bigger sports of football, men's basketball, and baseball.

Non-athletes need to go to more games and matches, because they will have fun if they are going with their friends and cheering for their college.

The athletic department needs to do more to lure non-athletes to the games.

Those are just the easy generalitites.

You make an interesting and good point. I think the difference is that at ESU's, non-athlete students don't know the student-athletes but are still rabid fans (in many cases) of athletics. Rice's students are a little more apathetic (generally speaking) about university athletics, and despite a higher percentage of student-athletes and non-athlete students sharing classes at Rice, there still isn't much social overlap. Just my perception, but I didn't really think about your point since I haven't had any experience at an ESU.
04-08-2013 04:52 PM
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That Guy 2012 Offline
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Post: #7
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
I firmly believe that those student-athletes who so desire can have a closer bond to the general student population at Rice than nearly any other D-I school. The students aren't going go out of their way to befriend folks just because they are athletes, but if the athletes frequently eat their meals at their college, and attend the occasional college/university event when they can, they won't feel that disconnect.

I can't speak for other colleges, but for the past several years at WRC, there have been two groups of athletes- those that expect to not have a connection and never show up at the college past O-Week, and those that buy into the college experience and are as well integrated to the community as any other student.
04-08-2013 06:02 PM
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75src Offline
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Post: #8
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
The 2 ESUs I have gone to are Texas A&M for gradate school and University of Houston for law school. Texas A&M has the long tradition of student support (especially for football) dating back to an era at least 50 years ago when athletes were members of the Corps even though they were in seperate outfits. In the 1970s, the support continued even though by then the athletes had their own dorm and not seen that much by the other students. The law school at UH was so isolated even though it was still on campus that I did not know what the other students were doing. There was no usually reason to go elsewhere on campus except somethimes I would go see a baseball, basketball or football game.

(04-08-2013 04:52 PM)mrbig Wrote:  
(04-08-2013 03:52 PM)75src Wrote:  Athletes and non-athletes know each other more at Rice than at the big state univeristies. If you look at the football programs for ESUs that list their majors, you find that most of them are stuck off in some obscure jellyroll major such as Parks and Wildlife, Rural Sociology etc. The ESUs do not have anythig like our college system.


(04-05-2013 03:52 PM)mrbig Wrote:  The folks on this board have been having these discussions for years. The one thing I can say with near-certainty ... there is no silver bullet.

Some of the athletes need to reach out more and some of the non-athletes need to reach out more. There are many examples of athletes who integrated very well with non-athlete students, Ryan Berry being an easy example. But there is always more that can be done, particularly with the bigger sports of football, men's basketball, and baseball.

Non-athletes need to go to more games and matches, because they will have fun if they are going with their friends and cheering for their college.

The athletic department needs to do more to lure non-athletes to the games.

Those are just the easy generalitites.

You make an interesting and good point. I think the difference is that at ESU's, non-athlete students don't know the student-athletes but are still rabid fans (in many cases) of athletics. Rice's students are a little more apathetic (generally speaking) about university athletics, and despite a higher percentage of student-athletes and non-athlete students sharing classes at Rice, there still isn't much social overlap. Just my perception, but I didn't really think about your point since I haven't had any experience at an ESU.
04-08-2013 06:26 PM
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75src Offline
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Post: #9
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
The 2 ESUs I have gone to are Texas A&M for gradate school and University of Houston for law school. Texas A&M has the long tradition of student support (especially for football) dating back to an era at least 50 years ago when athletes were members of the Corps even though they were in seperate outfits. In the 1970s, the support continued even though by then the athletes had their own dorm and not seen that much by the other students. The law school at UH was so isolated even though it was still on campus that I did not know what the other students were doing. There was no usually reason to go elsewhere on campus except somethimes I would go see a baseball, basketball or football game.

(04-08-2013 04:52 PM)mrbig Wrote:  
(04-08-2013 03:52 PM)75src Wrote:  Athletes and non-athletes know each other more at Rice than at the big state univeristies. If you look at the football programs for ESUs that list their majors, you find that most of them are stuck off in some obscure jellyroll major such as Parks and Wildlife, Rural Sociology etc. The ESUs do not have anythig like our college system.


(04-05-2013 03:52 PM)mrbig Wrote:  The folks on this board have been having these discussions for years. The one thing I can say with near-certainty ... there is no silver bullet.

Some of the athletes need to reach out more and some of the non-athletes need to reach out more. There are many examples of athletes who integrated very well with non-athlete students, Ryan Berry being an easy example. But there is always more that can be done, particularly with the bigger sports of football, men's basketball, and baseball.

Non-athletes need to go to more games and matches, because they will have fun if they are going with their friends and cheering for their college.

The athletic department needs to do more to lure non-athletes to the games.

Those are just the easy generalitites.

You make an interesting and good point. I think the difference is that at ESU's, non-athlete students don't know the student-athletes but are still rabid fans (in many cases) of athletics. Rice's students are a little more apathetic (generally speaking) about university athletics, and despite a higher percentage of student-athletes and non-athlete students sharing classes at Rice, there still isn't much social overlap. Just my perception, but I didn't really think about your point since I haven't had any experience at an ESU.
04-08-2013 06:27 PM
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Post: #10
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
I thought the article's logic was weak. She jumped to the conclusion that the student/athlete relations were linked to the departure of the basketball guys, without providing supporting evidence. I think a bigger factor may have been those guys' desire to "transfer up" to a bigger program.

I do agree that student/athlete relations aren't the best, though, and of course I'd support anything that contributes to improving our athletics program. I wonder how much of our student/athlete disconnect is the fact that we have such an academically overachieving student body? How many times do the valedictorian and national merit scholars hang out with the basketball and football team in high schools around the state? Hardly happens at all where I went to high school.
04-08-2013 06:50 PM
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Post: #11
RE: Student-Athlete Relations
We had a 16 year old triple/quadruple something or the other major who transfered in from Hofstra and he was suite mates with 4 of us football players. He couldnt have weighed 110 lbs. I took him to stadium parking lot and taught him to drive . I remember that just as much as all our ball games.
04-08-2013 07:44 PM
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