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Sports Praise
"Why is it that artists winning awards for their work or student unions doing charity don’t make it to the morning announcements?"
By Lisa Aultman
What is it with the worship of high school sports, and since when have the other accomplishments of students become unworthy of the praise and acceptance afforded to athletes? Why is it that artists winning awards for their work or student unions doing charity don’t make it to the morning announcements?
Every morning at my school, announcements blare through the intercoms, accompanied by the latest hit songs and the announcer’s nervous giggles. In addition to the messages about rallies, dances, and requests for students to clean up after themselves, there is typically at least one notice regarding an upcoming sporting event.
By the time my last class rolls around, athletes are gathering their duffel bags and waving to the teacher, who smiles as she dismisses them and wishes them luck with their game. If I ever asked to be dismissed to deliver one of my paintings to an art gallery, the likelihood of that same teacher showing off her pearly whites would be slim.
Last year, when our school’s depleted budget called for cutting back sports funding, the outraged community rallied for local businesses to make donations to our sports program. It’s not fair that athletics alone get special attention.
People need to realize that it isn’t right to hold one subject in higher esteem than another, and that students who succeed in any area should be admired for their skills.
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