College Athletes continued

Eager to know what others thought about the misuse of social networks by college athletes, I did a little searching. After reading a number of articles I stumbled upon this blog entry that struck my eye. The line that stood out to me the most was, "College athletes should be the ones who are most careful because of who they are and who they could become in the future". While I agree that athletes are more commonly recognized on-campus and in the media, I do not believe "regular students" should be allowed to get away with similar behavior. Yes, athletes do have certain standards they must uphold because of who they are, but so do non-athletes. These students too must uphold the honor code and other rules set forth by their universities. Would it be fair to say that the use of Facebook, MySpace, & WebShots should be monitored for all college students regardless?

Social Networks & College Athletes

Oh the phenomenon of social websites and internet networks...Facebook, MySpace, we've all heard of them. In fact, nowadays it's almost impossible not to belong to one. Okay, maybe not impossible but it definitely requires a large amount of self-control, which I for one do not have! I feel like I can't go anywhere on campus without someone talking about Facebook. "Did you see the photos so & so tagged of me from that party this weekend...I was soo wasted" or "Can you believe that he didn't accept my friend request?!" Now, seeing it in writing, the conversations we often have about this social website are rather pathetic. I mean who cares really if someone isn't your "facebook friend". Is it really all that important in the larger scheme of things? But that's beside my point....

With it's growing popularity, Facebook has not only become a useful tool for connecting students worldwide, but also a means to incriminate underage drinkers and more specifically college athletes. Today, almost anyone with an email address can register for an account. You no longer have to have a .edu address to join. This means that everyone and anyone out there can see the information posted to this site. Yep, professors, coaches, employers, even your parents can see those shameful photos or video of you partaking in "illegal activity".

In recent months, the NCAA has been cracking down upon the use of Facebook by college athletes. Many athletes have been suspended or completely kicked off their team because of questionable information posted on their personal pages. According to a recent article in the Kansas City Star, two LSU swimmers were kicked off the team in 2005 for posting negative comments about their fellow teammates and coaching staff. Six Colorado track and field athletes who were also dismissed from their team after posting suggestive pictures of themselves at a party online. I could go on and on about these individual cases of athletes being held accountable for content on their Facebook pages.

While the NCAA has been monitoring such activity, it is up to individual institutions to completely restrict the useage of Facebook by athletes. During preseason lectures, many are even required to sign a waiver stating that they can and will be held responsible for any information posted on the Internet. Some schools such as Kent State and even JMU temporarily banned social networking among athletes. Today, most colleges and universities strictly monitor these websites. The main argument is that athletes not only represent themselves, their families, and individual teams, but also their schools. With that said, they are expected to conduct themselves accordingly. My question is, do you think coaches and athletic directors are going too far in restricting their athletes? If athletes are held to these high standards shouldn't the every-day student be as well? These individuals also represent the face of their university in a very large way.

Last year a number of collegiate teams were put under fire by a website called BadJocks.com for posting pictures depicting underage drinking, so-called "harrassment", and "hazing" on Facebook, MySpace, as well as WebShots.com. The entire point of BadJocks is to pinpoint athletes behaving badly and then bring this behavior to the attention of their universities. Many of you may not be aware, but the JMU Women's Club soccer team was one of the many teams called out by this site. This goes to show that ahtletes on ALL levels are being monitored and many don't even realize it.

As a member of the JMU Women's Club Soccer Team, I can say that I never realized the extent to which we were being watched until our team's season was nearly suspended for pictures posted on WebShots. We were taken to trial by the JMU Sports Club Council and forced to opt-out of competing in our Regional tournament (among many other punishments). As two time defending regional champs, this was a major blow to the team. What we thought was an innocent new member party, was viewed by many university officials as hazing (through our photographs). This goes to show that pictures posted online ARE monitored, and very closely indeed. Although we were not wearing JMU Club Soccer shirts or uniforms this site somehow found enough information in order to link pictures to our club website and roster.

By no means am I attempting to excuse our actions, but my question is, if we were not athletes or part of any organization on campus, would our behavior still have been so closely scrutinized? Are athletes targeted unjustly in comparison to regular college students taking part in the same sort of activities?

10 Tips for College Students

Our society today has programed high school students to either go to college or get a job after graduation. Many parents stress that going to college and getting a degree is the key to "making it" in the real world. With such an emphasis placed upon higher education, many freshmen enter college not really knowing why they are there. When asked why they decided to go to college many are unsure responding with a simple, "that's what I'm supposed to do" statement. Without a little guidance, this uncertainty can lead incoming freshmen to fall off the deep end...partying seven nights a week and completely negelecting their academic obligations. Need a little help figuring out this whole college experience thing? Check out these 10 tips for college students. Even if you're a college senior, they're worth a look because hey, you still have a few semesters left!

Got the Campus Blues?

There is one thing I must admit before I begin this post. I am a Google maniac! If I can't remember the lyrics to a certain song, I Google it. If I'm looking for a good recipe to try, I Google it. If I want to know more information about a certain topic, you guessed it...I Google it! I simply cannot imagine a world (or day) without it. So tonight, like any other night, I was looking to find more information about the most current issues that affect college students today. I typed in "college student issues" in the Google search bar and stumbled upon a website called "Campus Blues" which is dedicated to helping college students deal with tough issues such as depression, mental health, drinking, homesickness, and much much more. The site caught my attention because it offers 24/7 support to college students worldwide. According to its founders, "CampusBlues.com was created to help facilitate student awareness and use of on-campus resources such as Counseling Centers, Health Services and various school sponsored academic and personal support groups".

This site is bursting with information! It addresses topics that never even crossed my mind such as overcoming public speaking anxieties, dealing with sexual orientation, and providing advice to commuter students. Each article provides helpful statistics and advice for students who may not feel comfortable in seeking help outside the confines of their own home. The site also has an open forum where students are encouraged to post about anything and everything that may be bothering them. You can also respond to posts which encourages other students to share their struggles with similar issues. While skimming through these posts, I ran across one in particular that caught my eye. One student explained his on going struggle with homesickness. As a native of the Philippines he was having a hard time adjusting to college life in America. Although elated to be here, he could not help but miss the comfort of home and his family life. Several students responded, reassuring him that what he is feeling is normal. One girl even offered her screen name to him, telling him if he ever needed to chat to IM her! This completely blew me away. It never dawned on me just how willing students are to help one another. While these students may not be medical professionals or licensed psychologists, their peer support is just as valuable.

I look forward to investigating this site in future posts. It is an extremely helpful resource and I encourage everyone to take a look at it!

New York Times: "Lighten Up"

After my first post, I decided to do a little research. I wanted to see if any major media outlets had picked up on stories related to surviving the many stresses of college. The first article that caught my eye was one from April 2004 in the New York Times titled “Today’s Lesson for College Students: Lighten Up”. This article focuses upon the efforts of Bowdoin College to decrease student anxieties when it comes to body image, grades, and career plans. Their main focus is to get students to slow down and make time to do the things they enjoy. Bowdoin College is one of many schools making an effort to foster the personal growth and emotional well-being of their students through special programs, services, and activities.

Many other colleges have begun to extend their counseling programs to include treatment for a wide range of mental and physical disorders. Whether you need help with a serious issue such as an eating disorder or just want to talk about stress management or roommate concerns, this article stresses that EVERYONE should take advantage of counseling. To raise awareness, Washington University in St. Louis has created a “stress free-zone” where students can relax and unwind during finals. Celebrating Sleep Awareness week also helped this university spread the word about the risks associated with sleep deprivation and poor health habits.

While more and more schools are becoming proactive about mental health issues, offering these services free of charge may also be driving up the cost of higher education. What this article did not address is how this increase has affected tuition and fees. My question is, in what other ways are students unknowingly paying for these services? Have other programs and services been cut or restricted as a result at certain universities?

In the past few years there has been a national increase of stress-related conditions among college-aged students. Each year, the number only continues to grow. My question is, since this article was published in 2004 have these institutions been keeping up these programs, or have the costs become too much to support them? The one thing I feel this article is missing is the student response to their university’s efforts. While many schools claim to have similar programs, how much do students really know about them? I feel the article was very informative, but also one sided. I want to know how the students really feel, not how the administrators think they feel. I am anxious to look into current statistics and student responses! Stay tuned!

Surviving College: My Purpose

Looking back on the past three years of my college experience I sometimes ask myself, “How did I do it? How did I survive all those assignments, projects, and exams? How did I balance school work with my paying job and my numerous extracurricular activities?” As I sit here and flip through my 2006-2007 academic planner, I am stunned by just how much I was able to juggle last year.

Being a college student in today’s world is a lot harder than many people often give us credit for. In decades past, going to college was all about getting an education, focusing upon studying, and completing class work. Being a college student was considered your full time job. Today, students strive not only to do well in academics, but to also become well rounded members of society, to be perfect. Many take on leadership roles in a number of organizations and work to pay the bills. With so much going on, it is often hard to get enough sleep, let alone stay on top of school work.

Perfectionism is just one of the major issues that affects college students nationwide. Throughout the semester, I hope to examine this growing list of issues which college students must face every day. From binge drinking to the fear of honor code violations, the list only continues to grow. I do not intend for this blog to act as a pity party for college students, but to serve as a resource and overall guide for survival. I hope it can provide others with insight about college life and how to handle living in a high stress, fast-paced environment.