Calls mount to tackle favoritism for athletes

The nation’s figure skating heroine Kim Yu-na has suffered recent accusations over her teaching practice but the issue runs far deeper than it first appears.

Yonsei University professor Hwang Sang-min triggered the controversy when he criticized her teaching practice as nothing but a “show” on a radio program, raising questions of the legitimacy of the privileges sports stars enjoy in terms of earning the same university degree without making as much effort compared to other students.

“I think my intention was overly misrepresented by many media companies. Although I mentioned Kim’s name on the show, she was not the issue I wanted to talk about,” Hwang told The Korea Times. “Rather, I wanted to bring up the problems within the college system that give out diplomas to people who do not deserve them.”

Kim’s agency All That Sports has said that they will take legal action against the professor because the skater “sincerely” participated in the four-week teaching practice that ended Monday at Jin-seon Girls’ High School in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul.

With that said, Hwang’s comments could sound unfair to Kim and her fans. The Harvard-educated scholar, however, said the crux of the problem is athletes missing classes is condoned and, as a result, there is a tendency on the athletes’ part to take the privilege for granted.

“When I was working as a teaching assistant at Harvard University, one hard-working student of mine came up to me and asked if there was any way to make up the classes he missed for a week, who later turned out to play on the American soccer team,” Hwang said. “I had no idea that he was playing for the national team since he participated in every class, working really hard.”

Star players’ admission to prestigious universities happens in many other countries. The United States is no exception. Many promising athletes there get into top schools. However, privileges do not usually go further than the admissions process.

Golf prodigy Tiger Woods grabbed many world-renowned schools’ attentions and he eventually went to Stanford University in the fall of 1994. But as his schedule as a pro-golfer became hectic, he had to stop his studies since the school would not give him credits if he was unable to attend classes, take exams and actively participate in the course. Korean-American golfer Michelle Wie went the other way. Wie, who will graduate from Stanford this summer, skipped golf competitions to catch up on school work.

“The sentiment in Korea is very different,” Hwang said.

Ordinary collegians feel that athletes are treated differently and preferentially.

A senior majoring in physical education at Korea University, said, “Professors are usually not very harsh on athletes’ absence, probably because they have the general perception that the school athletes are not actually there to study.”

They turn in papers in place of exams, which could seem unfair to many students who sincerely participate in the class throughout the semester, he said, adding that changing perceptions should be the first step in providing fair motivation.

Because of such leeway, college athletes do not necessarily see a need to focus on schoolwork. Missing classes is condoned, at a professor’s discretion, if proof of participation in a competition is submitted.

Robert H. Legvold, professor of political science emeritus at Columbia University said the situation in Korea “would not be normal in the United States.”

“I can only say that at Columbia and most of the institutions that I know, athletes are not treated differently from other students. They are expected to meet all university requirements and meet all university standards, including regular in-residence attendance and grade-point levels,” Legvold said. “At universities with large and top-rated sports programs, star athletes who have the chance to join professional sports teams often do so before completing their university degrees. These universities often have lower graduation rates for athletes, but that does not mean athletes are not expected to meet general requirements while they are enrolled.”

In many cases in Korea, university scholarships offered to outstanding athletes at the beginning of admission process, are continuously provided regardless of their grade point average as long as they “pass” the classes.

With that, they have one more reason to stay away from school. In the United States, athletes have to keep their GPA above a certain level (usually 2.5 to 3.0 out of 4.0) to retain their scholarships.

“Although I understand the schools are working to create a better educational environment for athletes and sports stars by creating special curriculums, I know for a fact that the required education level and their attitude are much less than it is supposed to be,” a classmate of Kim’s said. “I hope the schools step up to improve situation so that future students can study in a much fairer environment than now.”

College education is optional. Michael Jordan and Michelle Wie chose to go to college, giving up the opportunity of what could have been achieved if they had chosen to forgo higher education. Ashley Memory, assistant director of admission at the University of North Carolina where basketball legend Jordan attended, said knowing the true value of education should be the motivation of going to college.

“Stellar athletes such as Michael Jordan or Mia Hamm recognize the importance of their education to their future and are willing to make the sacrifices along the way to earn their degrees, even if it takes a little longer than four years,” Memory said. <Korea Times/Jung Min-ho>

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