In article <[log in to unmask]>, "Luiz F. Valente"
<[log in to unmask]> says:
>
>I don't think full-time students at the University of Maine are
>allowed to take just one course per semester.
 
To be classified as a full-time student here at Maine, students need
to be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours of classes.
 
Mike Machnik has a point: Why should athletes who are away for per-
sonal athletic endeavors be given special treatment? I don't believe
professors and instructors should be hard-nosed and say, "No, you
must be here." BUT the Olympic athletes need to spend an awful
amount of time away from the classroom (with exception to Kariya,
of course). So... I believe the Ferraros and others should be told
that if they want to play in the Olympics, that's fine. But work
it around your academics. Kariya is an excellent example it can be
done. The responsibility rests with the Olympic coaches whether
the athletes can get an education then join the team, or be forced
to sacrifice a year's worth of education or Olympic competition.
 
If athletes are eligible to play even though they are not full-time
students, something's wrong and it should be fixed. College is for
getting an education, not for prepping for the pros.
 
>It's obvious that in this affair academic concerns are secondary
>to hockey concerns. Now, is the primary business of the University
>of Maine education or hockey?
 
That's a silly question. The University of Maine has more than
10,000 students, of which 30 are on the hockey team. Education is-
n't the only thing students get or should get at college. I would
argue a majority of students here at UMaine don't care for the
hockey program. We don't have long student ticket lines that begin
early in the morning. This isn't to say a majority of students are-
n't proud of the team's accomplishments. You can go weeks within
the student body without hearing anything about the hockey program.
 
 
Ryan Robbins
Stodder Hall
University of Maine
 
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