Universities st As student-athletes move from the. sports page to the front page, the headlines depict an alarming trend of crime and scandal. For example: In January, sophomore Tyrone Williams, a defensive back for the U. of Nebraska football team, allegedly fired several rounds at a car being driven by another student. Also in January, Robert Glanton, a running back at Northwestern U., with- drew from school after allegedly enter- ing several women's rooms late at night, watching and sometimes touching the sleeping residents. Auburn U., U. of Notre Dame, UNIV and a host of other schools have experienced lawlessness among stu- dent-athletes in recent years. Even at Pennsylvania State U., which tradition- ally has boasted a squeaky clean pro- gram, five football players were arrest- ed on charges including felony theft and selling cocaine in 1992. As a result, schools are asking some difficult ques- tions: Why are these athletes getting into trouble, and what can be done about it? The reasons behind the headlines Those who supervise student-athletes have srggled to find common factors behind these crimes. Arizona State U. has been searching for answers since a nationally publicized wave of scandals hit the campus in 1991-92. During a 14-month span, 19 student-athletes were named in criminal complaints ranging from burglary to aggravated assault. As a result, ASU moved into the national spotlight of athleticcontroversy,>and university President Lattie Coot responded y ordering two studies to investigate the situation. Both studies concluded that the isolation of student-athletes was a prolem. According to one of the studies: "If them we were to cite a single complaint con- get i cerning the lives of student-athletes, N particularly those in the major revenue Wis sports, it would be that these young Rich men and women are isolated from the "T academic and social community." tie c Mike Sertich, hockey coach at the U. who of Minnesota, Duluth, says, "A lot of the kids want to go out and be part of the close mainstream, but because they are recog- Bu nizable, they can't. Consequently, peo- atten ple may take advantage of them, pursue tory them and push them a little bit. When "M alcohol and egos get involved, trouble spor starts brewing." mod Sertich and others say the spotlight pub burns brighter because athletes are pub- "Un lic figures. But is it fair that they find from 12 " u. magazine FoulPay.. rusle to deal with athletes in trouble all ASU athletes, appointed a team to investigate unlawful acts related to ASU athletics and called for a student-athlete conduct code. Since the conduct code was devised, no ASU athlete has been linked to a major offense. "I think [the code] helped... because here's our set of rules, and we have to follow by it, rather than the rules that society says," says senior Toby Mills, former starting center for ASU's foot- ball team. "The rules we follow here are tighter than society's." Athletic Director Charles Harris says he received requests for copies of ASU's policy from between 40 and 50 schools, including Auburn and Syracuse U. Last fall, Syracuse also developed a strict conduct code for athletes. According to the campus paper, The Daily Orange, last year's arrest of a bas- ketball player charged with vandalism prompted Chancellor Kenneth Shaw to call for the new code, which is 33 pages long and reads in part, "You will be held to a standard of ethical conduct and hehavioral expectations which may well exceed those of non-athletes." In Shaw's opinion, the restrictions of the new code are balanced out by the perks it establishes, such as counseling and development programs specially *designed for student-athletes. "As I see it, a good university doesn't treat everybody alike," Shaw says. And at ASU, although things have improved, Coor plans more changes. One of the studies he ordered issues 27 recommendations, including recruiting stronger students, monitoring their progress more closely and pairing ath- letes with non-athlete roommates. According to the NCAA's Reith, mea- sures such as these aren't intended as penalties, but as a way to integrate ath- letes into the student body by removing unnecessary privileges such as athletic dorms, which will he phased out at all NCAA schools by 1996. "The philosophy of the NCAA is that the athlete is an integral part of the stu- dent body," she says. "The athlete is a student first and shouldn't be treated as another being." One of the themes of the next NCAA convention will be the ethical conduct of student-athletes. As universities look toward the future, Coor says, "Those who study the natur- al phenomenon of the Earth note that fires, as painful and damaging as they are, are therapeutic to the longer-term ecology of the area. I think we should all learn from misfortune." Sally Kuzenichak, The Daily Collegian, Pennsylvania State U., and Shaun Rachau, State Press, Arizona State U., contributed to this article. UI APRIL.1994 LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT JOB? HELP EMPLOYERS FIND YOU! GET YOUR RESUME ONLINE bnTM IStudent & Professional Advantage What Is SPA? INFORMATION NETWORK The Student & Professional Advantage Information Network is an online resume and position listing service that makes your resume available to thousands of companies and organizations across the nation as a public service to Chamber of Commerce members. The resume database is used by employers to identify qualified candidates for job openings. The position listings database gives you information about job openings nationwide. How Does SPA Work? * Your SPA Application becomes your online resume for one year from date of entry. * When you access the SPA national Position Listings Database and find a position you like, "flag it" and your SPA resume can be downloaded by the listing employer. * Any employer who is a Chamber of Commerce member can search the SPA database 24 hours a day and can download the resumes of students with the desired skills and background. * The databases are password protected. What Does SPA Cost? A $30 non-refundable administrative processing fee for annual membership. " *" " " " Your SPA application is inputted into the database A copy of your resume as it appears online will be sent to you with your SPA membership card. SPA membership gives you access to the Position Listings Database. Resumes are available online to employers who are members of Chambers of Commerce at no cost. You can (and should) update your resume at no cost. SPA Benefits EQUAL OPPORTUNITY........Open to all students EXPOSURE.................Employers can find you; you can find them nationwide EXACT....................Computer matching of job opportunities and you GET YOUR RESUME ONLINE NOW! JUST FILL OUT THIS APPLICATION (BOTH SIDES) be system is somebow broken, and we bave got to fix it. And fx it we will." iselves on page one every time they n trouble? ot in the opinion of U. of consin Athletic Director Pat ter, a former Washington Redskin. he athlete is not only given very lit- hance within the press to have the le story come out, but because of coverage, their case is much more ly scrutinized," he says. it most agree that whether the tion is fair, it comes with the terri- of being a public figure. lost athletes that are competing in ts at NCAA institutions are role els," says Kathryn Reith, director of lic information at the NCAA. fortunately there do seem to be, time to time, a few athletes that don't [set a good example]. And because they're athletes it probably will be on page one. Whether it's the right thing or a good thing or not, that is what's going to happen. Athletes need to understand that." Fixing the system The community responded to ASU's situation with disgust. In one poll, 70 percent of those surveyed in the Phoenix community had a negative view of ASU as a result of the scandals. Even Sports Illustrated berated the "bedeviled Sun Devils." "The system is somehow broken, and we have got to fix it. And fix it we will." ASU's Coor said during the crisis. Coor ordered background checks on SPA Application Form (May be Photocopied/Duplicated) Employment desired: (check one) Q Intern Q Full-time L Consultation NAME_ U 4/94 Q MR. Q MS. First M.I. PERSONAL INFORMATION: PERMANENT ADDRESS_ Street GEOGRAPHICAL WORK LOCATION PREFERENCE ( ) - City State Zip Phone (optional" see back) L None City state Are you willing to work outside the U.S. ?: Q Yes Q NO U.S. Citizen? Q Yes Q No If you are an International student, are you eligible to work in the U.S. on a full time basis? 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