Letters from the Issue of March 14, 2002

Even football stars should know their detractors: Kirk Nielsen's story about University of Miami football player Andre Johnson ("End Run," March 7) had more quotes from ghosts than The X-Files. Next time you want to write a piece that butchers a twenty-year-old kid, Kirk, why don't you get quotes from real people with real names?

Your attempt to lump together all Miami football players as cheaters was disgraceful at best. It was so obvious that the entire story was made possible by a disgruntled member of the UM faculty who decided to take his anger to canestime.com. Hopefully your new friend will no longer be employed at UM.

A story like this may explain why you write for New Times and not a real paper.

Danny Ramirez

Aventura

Angry scribe cut from team, vows revenge: Wow! Kirk Nielsen's article contained a lot of hostility and resentment, which raises questions about his intentions. Was it reported and written in good faith? It seemed like an attack more than anything.

There were many comments that did not seem too relevant to what I think he was trying to address -- the problem of athletes and academics at UM and other universities. How did remarks involving the KKK make their way into the article? It was his story and he can write whatever he wants, but come on, how did that get past the editor?

Hue Hester

Miami

Catch a pass and UM will let you pass: I'm not surprised by the way the Andre Johnson case was handled. When I was at UM (I graduated in 1994), I certainly felt that football players got special treatment academically. Two incidents may serve to illustrate this point.

After my first year of school I had a 4.0 grade point average, but one of my grants to help me with tuition was unexpectedly dropped prior to my sophomore year and I had to scramble to make up the difference. What did that say about school priorities? If I had been a football player at the top of my game would that have happened? I think not.

Also a friend of mine was accused of cheating on an organic-chemistry exam. The evidence against him was much less clear-cut than in the Johnson case. I sat next to him during that exam and his answers were suspiciously similar to but not identical to the person sitting on his other side (not me). I was the best student in that class and my friend knew it. So if he were going to copy off anyone, it would have been me!

For that reason and others I'm convinced he was innocent and I wrote a letter on his behalf to the honor council. Unfortunately they revoked his university scholarship, he could no longer afford to attend UM, and he dropped out. Again, I doubt this would have happened to a football player.

I received a wonderful education at UM and have many fond memories of my times there, but these two incidents were not among them.

Aaron Bartholomew

North Bay Village

Some students are created more equal than others: I enjoyed Kirk Nielsen's article on a particular instance of favoritism for a student athlete at the University of Miami. Obviously this behavior is both morally and academically wrong on the part of the student and the school's administration. Unfortunately this favoritism has spread to FIU as well.

Although I have yet to see any example of an FIU athlete receiving reduced penalties for academic dishonesty, I can attest to the fact that at FIU athletes are put in a class of their own. At FIU our athletes have their own computer labs, special tutors, and their own library. When I bemoaned the fact that athletes at FIU are given access to better facilities than the rest of us, a professor complained to me that she has had to deal with FIU-funded tutors for these athletes sending her forms to fill out so the athletes can be tutored enough to pass her class!

Those of us at FIU who are not athletes are not so lucky. When we are failing a class, we hit the books, not the playing field. If we don't study hard enough, we have only our professor to help us. Personally I find it atrocious that a student should receive tutoring and the use of special facilities not based on academic problems but instead on the student's ability to play a sport.

This is made worse by the fact that FIU is funded in part by tax dollars. Every student at FIU deserves equal treatment, but our administration has created a host of second-class citizens by affording only athletes certain luxuries, most of which pertain not to the sports they play but to keeping their grades high enough to remain eligible to play.

Evelio E. Astray-Caneda III

Miami

Bold approach praised by NFL: It's disappointing to read how the University of Miami administration handled the Andre Johnson situation. Perhaps it's time for UM to offer a degree in football. That way student athletes can be accommodated without dumbing down and corrupting the rest of the university.

John Johnson

Kingwood, Texas

But what's this? The coach himself called it! Concerning the Andre Johnson case, what an outrage! But not a surprise. This is a problem not only at the University of Miami but at many other schools across the nation. I hope Coach Coker would have the sense to do what the administration did not: Suspend Johnson for the upcoming season. Any other student would be nailed to the wall for cheating twice.

This is an embarrassment to UM and to academia in general. But as the saying goes, money talks....

Gary Brunette

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Bond them out of jail, bend the rules, and build a better draft pick: It isn't surprising to see that the University of Miami is continuing its long-established tradition of supporting lowlifes, thugs, sociopaths, and convicted criminals in its athletic programs. How wonderful for the students to see the rules and regulations modified, overturned, and set aside for the benefit of the football program. Administrators and everyone involved should take pride in their decision. It provides an excellent example of what students should expect in the real world. Parents should also be proud to send their children to such a fine institution of higher learning.

I'm sure this story will probably be buried and forgotten as it is not conducive to recruiting. What does it matter anyway? The true importance of athletics far outweighs the necessities of a sound education. Sell the tickets. Market the Canes' gear. Prime these young men to make it in the world of professional football.

Nice job, UM. You have set the academic standard that all should follow.

Michael F. Heintzelman

Las Vegas, Nevada

It'll pay to study as hard as you play: Thanks, Andre! You are a shining example to all the little football stars out there. Why work hard in school when all you have to do to get through is cheat? Better yet, have your girlfriend cheat for you. How fair is this to the other students who work long hours to pay their way through school?

I realize football is a huge business, but I thought UM and Coach Larry Coker were more principled than to let something like this go by with a slap on the wrist. Andre, keep up the good work. You just might break the locks on those doors and let all the old Hurricane skeletons out of the closet.

M. Weinert

Omaha, Nebraska

And thanks so much for squandering it: Rebecca Wakefield's article "Resegregation Now, Resegregation Forever!" (February 28) shows us what a mess public education is today. One thing is certain, though: Charter schools are not the answer to our education problems.

The difference between charter schools and public schools is simply the bureaucracy that runs them. The money for both comes from taxpayers forced to pay into a system whether they use it or not and whether they like it or not. There is nothing wrong with private schools that are directly accountable to their consumers (parents), but under the current setup the funds for these so-called charter schools will be taken from taxpayers and fed to these corporations headed by former school-system bureaucrats. This is not privatization by a long shot. This is merely the shifting of power, money, and accountability.

The term "public school" is also misleading. These schools, as we have seen, do not belong to the public. Public schools belong to politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists, and union bosses. A more accurate label for these schools would be "government schools." The voucher system is no panacea either. It will only serve to make private schools also beholden to the government for their money.

The ultimate losers in this battle of bureaucracy vs. corporations are the students and their parents. Regardless of which system they choose (public or charter), their money will be taken by force. If you think force is too strong a term, try not paying your school-board taxes because you don't like the way your money is being spent and see what happens.

There is no easy solution or quick fix, but it's obvious we must find a way to empower parents by giving them more control over their children's lives and education. The only solution that ultimately will favor students and their parents is the dismantling of the government school system. If parents weren't taxed into oblivion they would have the money to put their children in the school of their choice, not Mr. Bush's choice.

Who do you think has the children's best interests in mind: A) perennial union boss Pat Tornillo; B) influential and connected lobbyist Ron Book; C) a bunch of politicians dependent on campaign contributions; D) a bunch of overpaid bureaucrats who otherwise wouldn't qualify to work the night shift at a Wendy's drive-up window; or E) the parents?

If you get the answer wrong, blame it on that government school you attended.

Emiliano Antunez

Miami