Word: shulman
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...These pointed attacks on collegiate athletics have drawn national attention. The book was featured in the January 7 New York Times Education Life supplement and the Jan. 22 issue of The New Yorker. Shulman recently fielded questions on ESPN's website, and the book has garnered praise from around the academic community...
...defining characteristic of the "athlete culture" is the de-emphasis of academics, the authors argue. Aside from this assumption's questionable accuracy, the authors suggest no solution to the "problem" of the athlete culture. What type of culture would Shulman and Bowen envision replacing the athlete culture? The "perfect board score" culture? While certainly there are many interesting people with astronomical SAT scores, would Harvard necessarily be a better place if the proportion of such people were increased? If every last student were intent on achieving Group I status, most would end up unhappy and dissatisfied. In the words...
...creation of this "athlete culture," argue the authors, begins in admissions offices, which they believe encourage greater specialization in athletics at a younger age. Shulman and Bowen find that recruited athletes face markedly better odds at gaining admittance to top universities. But what they forget is that recruited athletes are a pre-screened group. Since coaches do not recruit athletes who do not fall in the acceptable academic, it is unsurprising that their acceptance rate should be higher...
...video games and drugs. Specializing also teaches children focus and dedication and imbues them with a strong work ethic. While some excessive parents might hire expensive batting coaches for their children, the alternative would likely be the purchase of an expensive Sony Play Station or Nintendo 64. Do Shulman and Bowen really think this would be better for a child's development...
...Shulman and Bowen also fail to realize that specialization in athletics parallels a greater societal trend towards specialization, especially at the schools the authors studied. The faculty and the course offerings in all the departments at Harvard are more specialized now than they were 50 years ago. As Princeton Dean of Admissions Fred Hargadon said, the "baby" has changed but so has the "bathwater...