Football, soccer and volleyball are only some of the sports that take place at our university. I believe it is safe to say in today’s society, sports are one of the driving forces that keeps Southeastern moving forward. 

Even those who don’t know much about sports knew the campus had a different atmosphere when the Lion’s football team was winning a few semesters back.

Although athletics do have a place in society, I believe the growing obsession with sports is causing issues in today’s world. Potentially, professional athletes have the chance to make more money than the president while some of the most brilliant minds of America live in poverty. 

At the current rate of how college athletics are treated, I see a future where academia is thrown out the window. In the summer, I even read articles about how other universities lowered the grade point average so athletes could continue to play sports. 

These sports players are basically getting the “good life” handed to them because they can throw or kick a ball. 

One of the perks Southeastern offers is free access for students who want to attend athletic events on campus. Granted, this is a good benefit for those wishing to attend sporting events; however, it does not help those who have prior commitments at the end of the week when sports, such as football, are played. This does not even take into account those people who don’t like sports. 

I have always believed in academia. I know without brilliant minds, we will not move forward in society. We will not continue to improve technology, without prioritizing what college students should find important; a good education. Without a good education, we won’t be able to extend our existence further into the universe and ironically, have the chance to play sports in a different world. 

Many of the buildings need to be remodeled and new technology is needed in classrooms. Taking a class in White Hall, I am disgusted by  the conditions of the roof and even the ground I walk upon. I am not exactly sure how much money is spent on athletics, but I would prefer for that money to go into something that can benefit the future of society, like a raise for the professors who are helping me move forward in hopes of making a difference in tomorrow’s world. 

But, when I see how many people only care about the final score of the most recent games and how a football stadium can draw in more of a crowd than a lecture that can benefit even the most simple of minds, I get worried for where the future is heading. 

All in all, I believe that though sports may be important in keeping some entertainment, I do not agree with how much they get emphasized in an academic setting of higher education. If you have not seen the movie “Idiocracy,” I recommend you see it because though it is a comedy, how it portrays the future of earth rings a scary truth.