FIU Student Media Editorial Board
Aside from faculty and staff of FIU, perhaps no one is employed so directly by the university as student athletes. Thanks to this arrangement, FIU’s athletes are both in a position of power and of censorship.
Student athletes have power in the sense that they bring money to the school, plain and simple. From the tickets we buy, to even the soda and popcorn in the concession stands. That is all thanks to the those students we are playing. With no athletes there is no money coming in. Despite that much power and potential to help this school, athletes have the least say in anything that happens at FIU.
Unfortunately, it seems that student athletes are discouraged from speaking out. For every athlete who does not conform to the ideals of FIU, another can be subbed in and given their play-time.
During FIUSM’s coverage of the scandal with former Head Coach Marlin Chinn, staff found it difficult to find members of the Women’s Basketball team willing to comment upon the issue.
When FIUSM covered the FIU to Missou event, two black student athletes were present, but immediately felt uncomfortable being included in the video, and decided not to participate further.
This editorial board can’t help but wonder if the decision of the Board of Trustees would have gone differently, had student athletes felt safe to voice their opinions regarding the practice fields to be built atop the northern third of the Nature Preserve.
Were athletes consulted when this decision was made, was there a demand for more practice fields among those who need them, or were they simply told the situation and expected to be grateful?
FIUSM wants to encourage student athletes to be more vocal. As a student, you cannot be treated differently or punished based upon your beliefs. As athletes, you have the power to pull funding from FIU. We want students to know, though, that student athletes have more to lose – from scholarships, to play-time, to housing – if they speak out against FIU. If they choose to do so, we need to stand in solidarity with them.
Image courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chillihead/3149619647/in/photolist-5NjCc2-5UJdED-5UJbsZ-5UJaqz-5UNzZs-5UJaJP-5UNA9N-5UJ8La-5UNyzw-5UNzvQ-5UJ9hX-5UJa7D-4kjUCm-dJ7jL1-65v4cw-5UJcUv-5YsW5R-5UJ7Rg-7EriGX-63vqtt-5UNwww-7MS7z-9nNzLp-9nRBvh-ddsCVY-ddsAQM-ddsAxq-9nNzq2-dqk3Cm-dPPbCT-ddsExH-ddsDdH-ddsCiz-ddsDui-ddsAX4-9nRBob-ddsALZ-ddszZW-aFREgF-dQUFX6-ddsDP6-dqjYZB-ddszYa-ddsF5Q-ddsBGK-dPPdBg-ddsCGZ-ddsCAi-ddsAvD-dPUNy5
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