Article on Vander Blue

[ChicosBailBonds]

I have wondered why you never (or hardly ever) see an Education major among our basketball team members.  If I had to guess, it would be that A) our School of Education doesn't really have a Phys Ad focus as an option and B) education majors at Marquette are required to double major (in Education and something else -Math, History, etc.), which may be a little tough to pull off given the time commitment to basketball, and C)As a basketball player,  I would have to think it is close to impossible to get your student teaching in and still graduate on time.

My daughter right now has a substitute teacher that played for the Lakers and Suns, along with many CBA teams at the time.  Duane Cooper, out of USC.  I don't know if he majored in education, but that is what he is doing now.

[4everwarriors]

Why are all these couples in twin beds?

[warriorchick]

My daughter right now has a substitute teacher that played for the Lakers and Suns, along with many CBA teams at the time.  Duane Cooper, out of USC.  I don't know if he majored in education, but that is what he is doing now.

I don't know about California, but in every place where I have lived,  all you need to be a substitute teacher is a bachelor's degree in anything. 

I have a friend who is semi-retired and is subbing. He graduated from Marquette with a degree in Broadcasting and a 2.1 GPA.

[The Lens]

I don't know about California, but in every place where I have lived,  all you need to be a substitute teacher is a bachelor's degree in anything. 

I have a friend who is semi-retired and is subbing. He graduated from Marquette with a degree in Broadcasting and a 2.1 GPA.

That's actually quite impressive, Marquette College of Communications is one of the tougher Colleges in the country. 

[warriorchick]

That's actually quite impressive, Marquette College of Communications is one of the tougher Colleges in the country. 

Well maybe not 35 years ago...

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I don't know about California, but in every place where I have lived,  all you need to be a substitute teacher is a bachelor's degree in anything. 

I know this is the same in Connecticut for substitute teachers.

[MU82]

If students are given access to a free education and don't take advantage of that, how is it a sad commentary on the education system?

I'm not going to condemn the entire education system, but many athletes are not-so-subtly encouraged to put academics on the back-burner in favor of concentrating on athletics. In other words, reality is the exact opposite of what college sports' overlords would have us believe. For most, if they are students at all, they are athlete-students.

Look at North Carolina. For more than a decade, athletes were pushed toward taking courses that didn't even exist just so they could stay eligible. Could the athletes have said, "Wait a second? If I take these courses I won't be doing myself any good for the long term?" Of course. But how many 20-year-olds who have been told they are NBA and NFL shoo-ins think like that? Hell, how many non-athlete 20-year-olds think like that? I know I all too often took the easy way out.

UNC might be an extreme ... but it might not be. I'm sure there are plenty of other  supposedly prestigious universities that are little more than sports factories.

Add in the advisers, AAU coaches, leeches and other hangers-on, and 18-22-year-olds don't necessarily think pragmatically about "How can I best take advantage of this wonderful opportunity?" They are thinking, "I'm going pro, baby!" And everybody from their families to entourages to coaches to their colleges are encouraging it.

I'm sure Kentucky makes all kinds of learning opportunities available to its basketball players. I'm equally sure Kentucky has built its entire program around, "Come here and we'll make you a pro, and you won't even need three years at this $hithole to get there."

[warriorchick]

I'm not going to condemn the entire education system, but many athletes are not-so-subtly encouraged to put academics on the back-burner in favor of concentrating on athletics. In other words, reality is the exact opposite of what college sports' overlords would have us believe. For most, if they are students at all, they are athlete-students.
how many 20-year-olds who have been told they are NBA and NFL shoo-ins think like that? Hell, how many non-athlete 20-year-olds think like that? I know I all too often took the easy way out.

UNC might be an extreme ... but it might not be. I'm sure there are plenty of other  supposedly prestigious universities that are little more than sports factories.
Look at North Carolina. For more than a decade, athletes were pushed toward taking courses that didn't even exist just so they could stay eligible. Could the athletes have said, "Wait a second? If I take these courses I won't be doing myself any good for the long term?" Of course. But

Add in the advisers, AAU coaches, leeches and other hangers-on, and 18-22-year-olds don't necessarily think pragmatically about "How can I best take advantage of this wonderful opportunity?" They are thinking, "I'm going pro, baby!" And everybody from their families to entourages to coaches to their colleges are encouraging it.

I'm sure Kentucky makes all kinds of learning opportunities available to its basketball players. I'm equally sure Kentucky has built its entire program around, "Come here and we'll make you a pro, and you won't even need three years at this $hithole to get there."

This isn't the case with Vander, though.  If anything, Marquette's insistence that he (and every other BB player) take his studying seriously  was likely a contributing factor in his leaving.

[Benny B]

I'm not sure that it would be the best thing for the society to be encouraging revenue-sport athletes to go into education as a "safety-net."

Call me pessimistic, but if you have a revenue-sport athlete who doesn't even have the requisite intelligence to realize on his own that he needs some sort of safety net - be it in education or otherwise - just in case pro ball doesn't work out, I'm not sure that's the kind of person who should be training the next generation even if you can tutor him to an education degree.

[Tugg Speedman]

I'm humming the Dick Van Dyke show theme song right now.

Wow, how old are you?  (that's a 50 year old show).

[warriorchick]

Wow, how old are you?  (that's a 50 year old show).

Have you ever heard of Nick at Nite?

[Tugg Speedman]

Have you ever heard of Nick at Nite?

Yes, that is where fossils relive their youth.

[MU82]

That's actually quite impressive, Marquette College of Communications is one of the tougher Colleges in the country. 

Well maybe not 35 years ago...

I graduated with a Journalism degree 33 years ago, and I can assure you it was not considered one of the tougher majors at Marquette back then. Maybe for those who didn't know how to string two sentences together it was difficult, but for anybody with basic ability to put together a few paragraphs, it was quite a breeze.

I liked it because in my last three years I never had a single test in my major. Every midterm and final was a writing assignment of some kind. I pulled far fewer all-nighters than all of my non-J-school friends.

I of course had final exams in my non-Journalism courses, but the relative lack of them helped me establish a record that can only be tied and never be broken among students who graduate Marquette in four years: I went out to the bars every single night of final exams for four years. I willingly put an asterisk next to my "accomplishment" noting that I was a Journalism major!

[4everwarriors]

Could ya make a livin' with that journalism degree?

[MU82]

Could ya make a livin' with that journalism degree?

A very nice one, thanks for asking.

Not sure if the same is true today, though.

[Benny B]

Yes, that is where fossils relive their youth.

It's also the #1 channel for adults watching Spongebob who fall asleep with the TV on.

[keefe]

Could ya make a livin' with that journalism degree?

Well, at least he doesn't walk around with pruney fingers