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Page A4
March 8. 2006
O pinion
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
Colleges Must Graduate More Athletes
Investing beyond
the playing field
by J udge G reg
M athis
According to a study re­
leased by the NCAA, only 59-
percent of black college ath­
letes receive their degrees in
six years or less, while 82-pen
cent of white athletes receive
theirdiploma in that same time
period.
T hough black ath le te s
graduate at higher rates than black stu­
dents who don’t participate in athletics, it
is still disheartening to see higher educa­
tion disappoint so many of our brothers
and sisters. When you consider how much
money these student athletes generate for
their respective universities, it’s unthink­
able that these schools would al­
low them to leave without their
degree.
Student athletes receive sev­
eral thousands of dollars in schol­
arship money. In return, they gen­
erate millions - enough to pay the
coaching staff, trainers and team
administrators. Despite their hard
work on behalf of the university,
many of the students will leave
without their degree. True, some leave
school early to pursue lucrative, multi­
million dollar professional contracts. While
Presidential
Doubletalk
When fully prepared
isn’t fully prepared
If a picture is worth a thousand words,
a video must be worth a million. Six
months after Hurricane Katrina destroyed ‘
the homes and livelihoods of millions
along the Gulf Coast, the truth ahput what
the President knew and when he knew it
has come to light.
The President’s declaration that we were ‘fully pre­
pared' is as incredulous as his statement that ‘Brownie
(was) doing a heck of a jo b .’
Unfortunately, this is just the latest in a series of
revelations about how this Administration has failed to
prepare for the threats facing the American people -
both natural and man-made. It's crystal clear that the
Bush Administration doesn’t get it. While the Admin­
istration stumbles to cover its missteps, the people of the
Gulf Coast struggle to rebuild their lives.
We can do better. The American people deserve
straight-talk and not double-talk.
— U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss.
a college degree is critical to success, I
don't begrudge the athlete who goes after
the large contract - there is only a small
window of opportunity for a professional
career; the elite athletes have to go after it.
After all, the vast majority of people go to
college so they can have the credentials to
find a well-paying job.
There have always been doubts about
the quality of education a student ath­
lete receives. Since much of the athlete's
time is spent at practice and training, in
team meetings and traveling to games,
many opt - and some are encouraged -
to take an easier course load. W hile
they may be challenged on the basket­
ball court or football field, many student
athletes aren’t Hexing their intellectual
Quick action needed
for security, hope
by
U.S. R ep . J ames C lyburn
I recently returned from a trip with 10 of my
colleagues to five African nations, including Liberia
and the Darfur region of Sudan.
The main purposes of our visit
were to see firsthand the horrific
conditions in Darfur, to assess
the implementation of the Com­
prehensive Peace Agreement
and to consult with heads of
state in the region about the
crisis, which the United States
has characterized as genocide.
We are convinced that action must be taken
quickly to bring security and hope to Darfur. The
African Union military force is doing a great
job. However, as President Bush has said, ‘to
secure and stabilize Darfur, the African Union
force must be doubled and international organiza­
tions like the UN and NATO should play a coor­
dinating role.’
HIV/AIDS
H e a lin g W o r s h ip
C e l QD r a t io n
Please jo in us and h ear o u r k e y n o te sp e a k e r
REV. MATTHEW HENNESSEE
OF THE VANCOUVER AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH
Su nday, March 1 2 ,4 :0 0 p.m .
A llen T em ple C.M.E. C hurch
4 2 5 6 NE E igh th A ven u e • P ortlan d , OR
contact: Dr. LeRoy Haynes, Service Coordinator at (503) 287-0261
The Albina Ministerial Alliance (AMA) has broken the silence
on HIV/AIDS in the African American communities by
educating the Christian Churches in the North and Northeast
community and fighting against the spread of HIV/AIDS.
AMA invites community members, pastors, ministers and
missionaries to the annual local observance of the national
Balm of Gilead’s Black Church Week of Prayer and Healing.
6B AIDS
Cascade
Project
‘ri,r }|lt»rtht«b (JDhsmwr Established 1970
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reau, a person w ith a bachelors degree
earns more than $2-inillion over the
course of their lifetime. University offi­
cials and team adm inistrators must get
through to their athletes, making sure
they understand all o f the benefits -
financial and otherwise - that come with
a college education. By helping stu­
dents set realistic goals for them selves,
goals that anticipate a life after sports,
educators will show that they actually
care about the well-being of the student
and not just the money their athletic
prowess can bring in.
Judge Gré# Mathis is national vice
president o f Rainbow PUSH and a na­
tional board member o f the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference.
Crisis of Genocide in Darfur
Join with us in our war against HIV/AIDS
Bi M;-'
(¡i I! AD
muscle in the classroom . Because only
a small percentage of student athletes
have what it takes to make it to the pros,
the universities they work for - and
they do in fact work for the schools -
should make sure they have the tools
they need to follow through on Plan B:
an education that they can take with
them anywhere.
Universities should invest in their ath­
letes beyond the playing field. By identi­
fying barriers to success, setting up one
on one tutoring for struggling athletes
and counseling those that are considering
leaving school, colleges can insure more
student athletes walk away with their di­
plomas.
According to the U.S. Census Bu­
As the world responds to the suffering in Darfur,
the Sudanese government must live up to its
responsibilities to bring about a true cease-fire
that protects civilians. The needs of the people of
Darfur must be addressed, and the government of
Sudan cannot be allowed to continue to shirk its
responsibility to protect its people and provide for
many ways reminded me of a young America. In
fact, their flag is modeled very closely on ours
and its capital city, M onrovia, honors our
nation’s fifth president, Jam es Monroe. It’s a
nation on the path o f rebuilding after civil un­
rest, with 15 and 16-year-olds who are four-year
veterans o f war.
But with a spark of hope, the people
of Liberia have elected the first female
head-of-state, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a
woman they call the “Iron Lady.” We
are emboldened by the recent success­
ful democratic elections, but our job is
not done.
The C ongressional Black Caucus
has outlined a series o f initiatives to
m aintain our support for the nations
o f Africa.
We have an obligation, not just as people of
color but as Americans, to assist the people of
Africa in working to end genocide, improve their
countries and make a change.
" We all went to Darfur with
a sense o f deep concern and
we all left with'a sense o f
outrage and urgency.
their needs.
We all went to Darfur with a sense of deep
concern and we all left with a sense of outrage and
urgency. We are committed to working with Presi­
dent Bush to make sure the world community
responds effectively and efficiently to end the
genocide in Darfur.
Liberia was the bright spot of our trip, and in
Congressman Clyburn o f South Carolina is
chairman o f the House Democratic Caucus and
former chair o f the Congressional Black Caucus.
Priorities Same for Bush, GOP
Women and children suffer
by
M artha B erk
In a stunning act of corporate
foreign aid, last week President Bush
gave aw ay m an agem ent o f
America’s ports toone of the wealthi­
est countries in the world, Dubai. It
shouldn't have been a surprise.
T his a d m in istra tio n alw ays
dances with the ones that brung 'em (the corporations
and the rich) whi le thumbing its nose at the wallflowers
languishing on the edge of the floor (the rest of us. but
primarily the poor and elderly).
Republicans and Democrats alike are crying foul
over the Dubaigate, threatening to pass a bill that
nullities the contract. However. Bush says he'll veto
any law that kills the deal; business interests, even
foreign ones, count more than ordinary Americans do.
The brouhaha serves a useful purpose both for the
administration and the Republican Congress - it takes
our minds off the draconian budget already passed by
the House, and the further cuts proposed by the White
House. As usual, women and children are going to
suffer the most. It’s an equal opportunity budget in
another way though. Pregnant women and infants lose
right along with school-aged kids and older women.
New to the Bush hit list is the A griculture
Department’s commodity fixxl program, which pro­
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vides food packages to expectant mothers, babies,
and the elderly poor (the majority of whom are female).
Protection from domestic violence is a casualty too,
as money for shelters and help for victims of sexual
assault will be reduced by $35 million.
When it comes to cuts handed out by the House,
it’s also women and children first. Medicaid benefits
will be reduced by $29 billion over the next 10 years.
Recipients will have to meet higher premiums and co-
payments to hang on to these meager health benefits-
of- last- resort. Estimates are that 255,000 kids in low-
income working families will be denied care in the next
four years. That money is needed for "marriage pro­
motion" initiatives, which will now be mandated in all
states. Those programs are flush, with $ 150 million a
year, even as welfare-to-work programs provide in­
centives for states to cut two-parent families off
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
The increased spending side of the budget bal­
ance sheet benefits the already wealthy. According
to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, most of
the gains from tax cuts will goto families with incomes
above $1 million annually (not your typical female­
headed household) and corporations. Like the Dubai
deal, when it comes to handing out largesse, this
administration sticks to its priorities.
Martha Burk is the author o f “Cult o f Power: Sex
Discrimination in Corporate America and What
Can Be Done About It. ”
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