Although the job is more strenuous than one may think, the payback can be considerable. Team managers do it all; from making sure equipment is court-side before practice begins, to rebounding for the team, to filming, to the obligatory taking of stats. The job commitment becomes more extreme the more senior you are.

Julianne Capron, a Division 1 basketball manager at St. Joseph’s University, said that as a sophomore, she shows her support in the stands on game days, but that the seniors travel with the team. However, even as a sophomore, a manager’s job is incredibly challenging.

Capron said it is in fact one of the most important assets to both the team and the coach.

“It is the ‘behind the scene’ tasks that managing a team requires that keep the players happy, healthy and always improving,” she said. “We’re standing every second of every minute of every hour over the course of practice ready with a towel or ball or ready to fetch a water bottle for a thirsty player.”

Not only are sports managers vital to the team, the team is an asset to them as well. Managers build great relationships with the players, coaches and peers.

Capron said everyone is connected.

“You become a family,” she said. “Everyone knows each others’ names and says hey when passing from class to class.”

Gaining firsthand experience, she said, without hesitation, is the best part of the job.

The team becomes your family away from home, Capron said. These team managers spend so much of their time with the team that they often consider themselves personally responsible for every single athlete. They’re at every practice, on their feet and ready to help. Whether fetching a water bottle or a towel, they are essential to the team.

Personal time management becomes a critical part of the job as well. Capron said when the players are in the weight room, she’s working on her homework. These college students are essentially working full time jobs and must set priorities.

Capron said she works with the basketball team because she didn’t have the opportunity to play herself.

“Being a manager has enabled me to continue my involvement with a sport I’ve loved and will continue to love even after graduation,” she said.

So if you love the game, being a team manager could be a great choice. These students are connected to their sports around the clock.

The post Beyond the Student Section: Team Managers Come to Play appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Colleges around the country are celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month, each in its own unique way. The students and colleges are not only raising awareness for this disease, but they are actively raising funds for the cause. From athletes on the football field to women in sororities, the power of pink is being felt all over campuses this month in numerous ways.

At UNC-Chapel Hill some of the sororities focused their efforts on the philanthropic aspect. Kappa Kappa Gamma hosts a 5K event to benefit the Carolina Parents Fund and Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test. Zeta Tau Alpha sorority hosts a contest to see who can eat the most Yoplait yogurt with the proceeds going to support Susan G. Komen and funds for earlier breast cancer testing.

Georgetown University and St. Mary’s College both hosted 5k races to support Susan G. Komen as well. The Susan G. Komen organization takes it one step further and offers a college scholarship to a student’s winning essay about how breast cancer has impacted his or her life.

Syracuse University has added a little something sweet to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness month. Pink lollipops are being sold on their campus to support the cause. Also, the Syracuse women’s softball team will sport pink t-shirts for a “Save 2^nd Base” game to support the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Foundation. To raise additional funds, the softball team will auction a pink jersey signed by the team along with a pink hard hat signed by the famous Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim.

Many college athletic teams-such as the cheerleaders at Richmond University- are wearing pink to support the cause this month.

Notre Dame’s football team even sported pink accessories in their game against Pittsburgh University, but their quarterback took it a step further, requesting pink sleeves for his uniform.

Florida State students and faculty are being encouraged to wear pink for a day around campus to show their support for the pink ribbon as well.

Colleges everywhere are using a little pink power this month to help raise awareness and funds for a really good cause. What is your school doing for Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

The post Pinky Swear to Be Aware: Colleges Fight Breast Cancer appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Considering I am from New Jersey, just outside New York, but attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I am curious about how the northern schools will commemorate September 11^th in relation to the southern, western, and more distant universities. How will each university’s proximity to ground zero effect the magnitude of the tenth anniversary of 9/11? After talking to a handful of in-state students here at Carolina and comparing their recollection of that vivid day to my own, it seems to me that the Tri-state area experienced more personal connections and evidently, losses. There were countless funeral processions through my town. There were friends and family members awaiting the calls of loved ones, students absent due to the loss of a parent, aunt, or uncle, friends frantically going from hospital to hospital, hopeful about finding their wife, husband, son, or daughter, alive. Through all this chaos and unrest was a place for strength and unity. Soon after, two blue lights shined where the twin towers used to stand. I sat at my bedroom window, night after night, gazing into the dark sky, saying little prayers for the families I knew were suffering.

Ten years ago, on 9/11, I believe it’s safe to say, the world was watching the news. America watched the buildings quickly crumble, the smoke roll through the streets, and the soaring flames. Universities throughout America are going to be commemorating the tragic deaths and the everyday people that became heroes that day. We will remember, we will unite, we will honor. Universities around the world are taking action to educate the young, celebrate the lives of those who were lost, and support the families who still suffer. A decade later, I will remember. I will pray. What will you do?

The post The Blue Lights From My Window appeared first on NextGen Journal.

It’s probably safe to assume that most of you have been told to bring your mini fridge, microwave, shower shoes, caddy, towels, and toiletries. These are some dorm room basics that are most likely already on your list. However, being a rising sophomore, I’ve thought of a handful of other things you may not want to miss out on!

1) Sound Machine- Whether you’re trying to drown out the unusual noises of your micro fridge or some next-door neighbors who use the word party as a verb way too often, this little machine can be quite the lifesaver when you’re trying to get some shuteye before an early-morning exam. There are lots to choose from, but this one is my personal favorite. This sleep sound generator is what I use.

2) Bedside Table- In addition to the usual suspects, they now make ones that clip right onto your bed frame or stick onto the wall with adhesives. While keeping your phone and alarm on the floor may not be the worst option in the world, there may be a time to ascend to a more civilized state. If you’re ready, here is one option bearing clean lines that won’t break the bank.

3) Futon-My room seemed too crammed for a futon freshman year, but this year my roommate and I are rearranging some furniture to make room for one. A creative idea is to loft one of your beds high above the ground (typically dorms have ways to do this) and place your futon underneath it. Futons are great for sitting and relaxing, and also fold out into a bed, for when friends visit you at school! Here’s one loft bed project you can take up on your own (with a little help from friends with a vested interest, of course). Before starting however, make sure you check with the rules of your particular residence hall, just in case.

4) Collapsible Laundry Basket, Thin Hangers, and Space Saving Bags -these essentials help you keep your clothes clean and neat when space is tight or your clothes are out of season.

5) Hefty Garbage Can- Make sure yours is an adequate size. I had a wimpy trash bin my freshmen year and we were required to dump our trash outside of our building. Luckily I lived on the second floor and it was only a hop, skip, and a jump from the dumpster, but next year I’ll be sure to have a bigger one that will allow me to accumulate more before I have to trek outdoors. I prefer something of this style because of its sanitary yet sleek features.

6) Unbreakable Dishware and Boiling Water at the Ready- Some buildings have a common space kitchen you may use, for which you’ll need some silverware, bowls, and plates if you plan on making anything yummy! My building offered us pots and pans to cook with that we could simply rent out and return, but you might want to check on the protocol for your particular residential hall. Unbreakable, melamine dishes are a must. Also, an electric water boiler may come in handy! It can be plugged into an outlet to heat up water for oatmeal, tea, and more!

7) “Wall Pops”- These can be a fun and colorful addition to your room considering you’re going to be living in it for two semesters. I liked having wall pops because you can write and erase on them with dry-erase markers. They make them in a variety of colors to match your dorm and they come off easily, leaving no surprise damage charges at the end of the year.

8) Throw Rug and Hand Vacuum- Most dorm room floors are tile or wood that don’t exactly pleasantly greet your feet when you jump out of bed in the morning. If you’re up for something cozier and more design friendly, give a throw rug a chance. Target and PB-Teen have a great selection of rugs online. Don’t forget to throw a nifty vacuum cleaner into your shopping cart as well to keep them looking sharp.

9) Power Strips and Extension Cords- Make sure you meet the requirements for your building such as the voltage you may not exceed, but definitely bring at least one. I placed my monster cable-power center neatly under my desk and used it to plug in everything from my desk lamp to my phone charger, and even my television cords! You may want to bring some duct tape to secure the cords down to the ground under your rug.

10) Laptop Cases- Don’t forget any of your school supplies, but remember that you can buy a lot of what you will need at your college bookstore upon arrival…including those mandatory books. Make sure you maintain your style on your walks to class as well. O’Neill and Billabong have a variety of hip new backpacks and shoulder strap, messenger style bags that will give your look that little something extra. While you’re at it, if you’re bringing that fancy new laptop to school with you in the fall, the last thing you want is for it to break. Most of you would probably agree that your parents wouldn’t be too thrilled to replace the new Macbook or HP laptop during the first week of school because you left it where your roommate always drops her books, which has now left you with a cracked screen. You might want to check out some of the new Vera Bradley laptop portfolios, that come in multiple shades and patterns. You could of course stick to the traditional apple store Speck SeeThru Case as well.

Nonetheless you rising freshmen should check out the “what to pack for college” link on the apple store website. It has everything from external hard drives (very important to back up your computer) to All-in-One, multi-use printers that are compact enough to place in your room, as you will be looking to conserve space. Totally pick up a pair of Beats, Bose, or Skull-Candy headphones as well. Whether your roommate is studying or sleeping, you may have the urge to listen to some tunes and these will come in handy.

Happy Fall! Happy Shopping!

The post Frantic Freshmen Shopping and Ten Remedies appeared first on NextGen Journal.

The NCAA is known for doing everything in its power to make sure college athletic programs are able to compete with each other on a level playing field. For example, when it comes to recruiting Division I college athletes, including football players, there are specific rules prohibiting compensating high school student athletes in order to incentivize them to enroll in a particular college. All of the major college football programs do their best to present their programs to the recruits in the best possible light. When I volunteered to work in the football department my first two semesters at UNC-CH, I had a chance to see first-hand just how important some things are to running such a program.

Lets face the facts.  Fans don’t just  follow a team; they pay close attention to the future recruits, as well. Recruits determine the success of the program in the years to come. These prized players are ultimately moneymakers for universities with big-time sports programs. If some programs are more profitable than others, do the profitable programs have an advantage in recruiting football players? More profitable programs can have better stadiums, better training facilities, better player lounges, better study facilities, etc. The NCAA seems to be further analyzing the possible advantages of high revenue athletics, particularly football, and how those programs can ultimately affect the level playing field that the NCAA continuously strives for.

We’ve established that the NCAA wants schools to have a fair chance at attracting new athletes and establishing athletic programs they can take pride in (and even boast about). However, the NCAA is considering taking this concept to the next level. They are analyzing football program revenues at individuals schools to see how much they bring in each year, and they’re tracking it with a close eye. Do big football schools have an unfair advantage at generating revenue and/or lowering the expenses for their program? And, if so, should something be done to further level the playing field?

This is the current outstanding question for the NCAA. You have big time football programs that are generating significant revenues and, in some cases, profits. Then you have programs that may not be generating profits per se, but when taking into account the new-found popularity of a school due to its athletic success, they do draw in more students to attend the university, and this results in an indirect, but still significant, economic benefit. When a school is in high demand, tuition can increase, television revenues may rise, and prestige grow. The point is that the NCAA is not tracking this data for fun. They are looking to take further action to level the playing field of college athletics.

Is the NCAA considering apportioning revenue so that colleges that have programs with less revenue will receive a reallocation of revenue to help keep them on equal footing when it comes to recruiting? I think they have already started to mark some X’s in their playbook, and we’re just waiting for the whistle to blow. This is certainly not a new strategy. Professional sports leagues such as the MLB reallocate some of the league’s revenue to smaller market teams so that they can compete with teams that generate far more revenue from a larger market. In other words, they collect money and distribute it based on a team’s needs. How else can the Minnesota Twins compete with the New York Yankees? The NCAA would be the “league” that makes these determinations. A little bit far fetched? Maybe. But I have a pretty good feeling that this may be the direction the NCAA is headed at this point in time.

The post Is the NCAA Trying to Level the Playing Field? appeared first on NextGen Journal.

During World War I, in 1918, the American troops won a great battle against the Germans. The news of the victory was posted on a scoreboard at Ebbets Field during a Red Sox vs. Cubs baseball game. As the fans read the scoreboard they began to rise and sing the national anthem. “From that day till the present, the National Anthem has been sung at every baseball game played in America,” according to DC Pages. And this tradition soon became one not only at baseball games but football, basketball, hockey and so on.

“Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming…” The first two lines of the Star Spangled Banner could not be more recognizable. It is our country’s anthem, the song of America’s freedom, and the melody that Goshen Indiana College banned from being played before sporting events. The school is a Mennonite, pacifist school that believes the warlike images of the Star-Spangled Banner go against their “peace tradition” beliefs. But this stance is nothing other than sheer hypocrisy since the truth of the matter is that Goshen College would not have the freedom to practice or express its religious tenets without the many battles that have been fought by American soldiers. The Star Spangled Banner conveys images of valiant soldiers fighting such battles, expressly for some of the freedoms Goshen seems to value most.

My feelings about this should be pretty obvious by now: Goshen’s decision to ban what was declared the United States’ national anthem in 1931 is a dishonor to our country and a rather ungrateful and unpatriotic move. Listening to and singing our National Anthem reminds us that our freedom has come at a price. Beginning with the Revolutionary War and continuing with a number of other wars including World War I and World War II, as well as the wars that continue to be fought in the middle east, American soldiers, both men and women, have been and continue to be killed and wounded so that we can continue to enjoy an unparalleled level of freedom when compared to any other nation in the world. These freedoms include the religious freedom that the Goshen school enjoys today, and clearly takes for granted. If we had not fought and won the wars that obtained and protected our freedoms, then of course, the Mennonite school would not be faced with making such decisions at all. Perhaps there would be one national religion sponsored by the government and the practice of the Mennonite religion would be against the law. I would like to know what our soldiers who are defending America overseas today would say in response Goshen’s choice.

“By the time the Star Spangled Banner became the national anthem, the tradition of singing it before sporting events had been in place for 54 years,” according to Breathing History. Singing the national anthem at important events has become part of the fabric of our society. However, sometimes people need to be reminded that men and women have sacrificed their lives in battles fought to preserve our freedoms, which includes the freedom to practice the Mennonite religion. In addition we must remember that the national anthem is sung to promote patriotism and a unified country that stands for liberty and freedom throughout the world. If we take Goshen College’s decision to ban the singing of the National Anthem to its logical conclusion, then we should not celebrate the Fourth of July, our Independence Day, because once again we are reminded of the battles fought by our country to defend our freedom. Perhaps we should not celebrate Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day because they too remind us of our troops who fought in those wars and lost their lives to defend liberty throughout the world.

Does the Goshen Board of Directors realize they wouldn’t have their freedom if it weren’t for the perilous fights they wish to banish from their collective memories?  Can they see the unfairness in this? I find it unsettling that this college can call itself an American institution even though they fail to recognize the true meaning of what it is to be an American – namely, to appreciate that while our history is far from perfect (just like any other nation’s history), our identity still rests on not only embracing freedom, but also fighting fiercely to protect it when called upon to do so.

The post Oh Say Can You See… The Unfairness? appeared first on NextGen Journal.

Amateur sports are characterized by using players who aren’t paid. Amateur players need to play for the love of the game. This is a different environment than professional football. Supporting the university and your fellow students is all the motivation players should need. College football scholarship players already receive free tuition, room, board, medical treatment from team doctors, personal trainers, academic tutors, first pick on class schedules to eliminate scheduling conflicts, their own student lounge, etc.

Brian Taylor, quarterback for Iona College said, “We got plenty of perks along the way that many people didn’t see.” Most college students would give almost anything to be a college football player under these circumstances.

If we begin to pay players, it could potentially alter their motivations. Taylor said, “[It] sounds good on paper, but it will never happen without a series of incidents and scandals.” Athletes may begin to play for the money and the additional benefits, not just the game. If universities pay them $300 per game this year, next year they may want $1,000, and the following year they may negotiate for even more. It’s a slippery slope and could eventually make college football look a lot like the NFL. It is conceivable that you may very well destroy the integrity of college football once you start paying the students to play.

If you start paying athletes who generate the most revenue, what will happen to the college sports that don’t make as much money for universities? Will participants in women’s sports be docked because they don’t historically generate as much money as a college football program?

On the other hand, Spurrier’s perspective and ultimate goal are understandable. Coaches like Spurrier see the players that they care about so much struggle to survive financially, even though they help the college bring in millions of dollars in revenue every year. These players dedicate the majority of their time and energy to the sport leaving them with no time to have a job or devote themselves to a lot of other commitments. It definitely seems as if these guys have everything and more, but as Spurrier mentions, where do they round up the money to take their girlfriends out for a slice of pizza and a movie? The amount of revenue that college football generates is as much as professional football, yet unlike college players, professional players make millions of dollars a year. Without college football, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to have professional football because most NFL players play college football first.

As a result of the players committing themselves to a full time sport, a commitment some may say is ultimately that of a job in itself, some players are driven towards bending the rules in order to live a normal lifestyle. There are constant rumors about college boosters secretly giving cash to players so that they can have spending money. In addition, professional street agents have been rumored to give players money in exchange for their agreeing to use them as their agents after they graduate and head to the NFL. If any of the players are caught violating the rules in order to survive financially, the coaches are ultimately held responsible. Sure, there are negative consequences for the players as well, but the coach takes the ultimate blow. Therefore, coaches like Spurrier have to keep a close eye on their team members, constantly worrying that players might get into some trouble and potentially put their careers at risk. It appears that violations of this kind are so common that the NCAA could investigate any Division I college football program and find a player violating the rules in order to make the money necessary to have a normal college experience. The result is that the NCAA has an incredible amount of power and can literally hand pick its victims.

Having said all this, some Division I athletes come from families that can afford to provide them with the spending money they need for college. These fortunate teammates are not under pressure to violate the rules. Does this mean that perhaps compensation could be solely based on need? The players still need to be treated like students athletes, or else they have nothing to strive for after their four years of college sports. However, maybe they are in fact in need of some extra spending cash considering their full time commitment to their sport and academics.

Julianne Capron, men’s varsity basketball manager for Saint Joseph’s University said, “Players have expectations to live up to, and they might lose their focus if they are given too much pocket money.” One possible solution may be to pay players a stipend, but to also monitor their spending of these funds. This way they are forced to use their money wisely. They would need to present receipts for food, clothes, and leisure, in much the same way business executives do when they submit expense reports. Maybe they could even get a team cash card that can only be used at certain venues.

Whatever the proposed solution, the NCAA should revisit and re-evaluate the rules as they apply to university athletes. If the rules were applied uniformly throughout the schools, the financial side of the playing field could perhaps finally be leveled.

The post Should College Athletes Be Paid to Play? appeared first on NextGen Journal.