Pro
By Douglas Sulenta
The Collegian
Let’s
all be realistic here, Fresno is a college town. The entire culture
of Fresno revolves around this campus, and without it, this city
would have no identity.
So why is it that Fresno State has such an enormous effect on the
society in which it lies? Well, it certainly isn’t the academics.
The sad reality of the situation is that Fresno State is a commuter
campus and most students that attend here are trying to earn nothing
more than their bus ticket out of this town. (Not knowing that Fresno
is some sort of strange vortex that invariably sucks people right
back.)
The truth is, the community gravitates to Fresno State because of
its sports programs.
Though the focus of most people’s attention lies with the
football and basketball programs, how can one forget the pride that
swept the city in 1998 when the Fresno State softball team won the
national championship?
It was as though we had just conquered the world.
So why not allocate more money to the athletic program than to academics?
When is the last time you saw 10,000 screaming fans show up and
pay $40 a ticket to see an agriculture student give his dissertation
on the life cycle of a fruit fly or the glossy-winged sharp shooter?
Granted, the academic programs here produce students with the ability
to change the world, but the athletic programs give this city something
to be proud of.
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 Con
By Anthony Galaviz
Mass Communication and Journalism, junior
By no
means should athletics get special treatment such as getting funding
over academic programs.
Yes, athletics does generate money by selling tickets and merchandise
but at the same time academics are important for every student who
enters college.
There are budgets that are placed and needs to be met. Where’s
the money going?
The money can be used for more academic programs. Students who visit
the university and see the program they’re looking for isn’t
available are likely to transfer.
Yes, getting a degree is very important but at the same time funding
should be equal for both sides and not just athletics. That’s
the wrong route to go.
Academic programs are an important asset to college students because
they give the university a chance to offer more programs.
You cut programs and students will most likely transfer. It’s
important to have the available program ready for students who enter
college.
That’s why it’s important to continue to have funding
for academic programs, not athletics. You run the risk of losing
money.
Whether athletes or students, they come to college to learn. Students
come to college to study the field they want to learn about.
Academic programs give students such opportunities to learn in various
subjects and to get hands-on training such as engineering.
Having academic programming is viable to the university. It is so
important to have because it leads us to a better future.
Without giving them an equal chance, there’s no way of telling
where we’ll end up.
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