Cross-Cultural Blog

The article was legit. I like how the group delved into an aspect of athletics that is really unique to prestigious universities....the balance between commitment and preparing for the future. At other schools, it's obvious that some of the athletes are attending simply as a means of entering into the professional ranks...and that's fine for them. But at Stanford, w/ individuals talented enough to either go pro or run a business, it's an incredible strain on that person to have to perform at a high level athletically and then be expected to be on par with the brightest minds in the country when those non-athletes didn't have to commit 15+ hours a week at practice and training. Being an athlete is definitely rewarding and it's understandable how they tend to form a culture of their own but the disparity in the circumstances and expectations that surround them at the university aren't to be ignored. My roommate last year was a football player and seeing how some nights he was in bed by 11pm and up by 7am, was a glimpse into the added responsibility athletes have. Personally, I think athletes should be paid. They make the school millions and they receive no benefits at all and it's known amongst many that the NCAA kinda exploites its athletes. Money won't ease the dispartiy athletes face but it's definitely alot more equitable.

I like that this post clearly presented the daily or weekly routines of Stanford athletes that it is easy for a non-athlete Stanford student to forget, or never know at all. Students seem to feel like a 9 a.m. class is horrendous, and most arrange their schedule so that the absolute earliest class they have is at 10. Weights at dawn almost seems impossible considering how difficult it is to make it to morning class on time. I agree with Osagie's comment: athletes should be paid directly. A scholarship helps the athlete's family, but the athlete is the one who is actually paying. My favorite part about Stanford is athletics is that I have yet to take a class with an athlete in which I felt like that person could not intellectually contribute to the environment, which I doubt I could say about many of the other schools competing for the Director's Cup. Stanford is consistently able to bring in the absolute top tier of athletes, both in their respective sports as well as academic achievement.

I particularly liked that this article laid out an underlying theme, exemplified with the situation of a Stanford athlete: work/train hard for a shot at being able to compete with other division 1 schools. As the record shows, we are one of the best athletic institutions in the land, so I definitely am aware of the rigorous demands placed on our athletes. That being said, I have lived with a football player for the last two years, and what he's told me definitely coincides with the information presented in this blog. Also stated in the blog, there might be conflicts of interests between players, coaches, and other staff. For the coaches, the main goal might be to win. For certain athletes, a goal might be to make it to the pros, and for others, it might be to enjoy college as a student athlete. As Chris said, 9 A.M. might be early for students unaware of the life of a student athlete, but I stay constantly grounded. It doesn't take much to speak to a water polo player about her 6 A.M. practices three times a week (on top of classes).

Speaking about friendships developed between teammates, I agree as well. I played a host of sports in high-school, and even then, on a much lower scale, my teammates developed a bond that has yet to be broken..and we never played in front of stadiums or gymnasiums full of fans.

Lastly, like Osagie, I think it speaks volumes about student athletes here who can compete on both academic and athletic levels at an institution that is considered elite in both respects.

As the fourth comment on this blog post, I will focus on my reaction for the photos. The first photo, from the women's soccer team locker room, really shows the camaraderie between the players off the field as opposed to the high fives and game-time talking on-field. I thought that was a great image to preface the article with. The next picture is very professional and newspaper-esque, which fits in well after the general introductory paragraph. The third, of the scantily clad girls in sports bras hanging on a few Rodin sculptures, certainly appeals to about 50% of readers in a provocative way. The next, the impersonal knee brace photo, does justice to its following paragraph, and the final picture, like the first, appeals to pathos by showing a group of young girl fans who dream of one day playing soccer for Stanford.
On the whole, I thought the pictures were appropriate and visually stimulating.

I agree with Ben.The images used were very fitting and appropriate. They followed the progression of the blog nicely. I would have liked to see captions to accompany the pictures, however. I think that adding captions makes the blog more "real" and personal. Overall though, the text and photos worked seamlessly together. The writing itself came from a very personal place. It is obvious that athletes wrote this article given the careful insights and personal experiences tied into the writing. I think they established their ethos very well. And overall the piece was just fun to read.

When I tell my high school friends that Stanford is an athletic powerhouse, they laugh and point to the only sport that we are mediocre in: football. I should refer them to this blog. I really liked the post because it both talks about Stanford athletics in general, as well as the detailed everyday life of individual athletes. I think this juxtaposition of the big picture with the detail really brings to life what Stanford athletics is about - working hard and winning big. The article definitely gives insight to the routines of being an athlete, which seems pretty tough. After reading this, I definitely have new found respect for Stanford's student athletes.

I really enjoyed this post's characterization of athlete life, and I agree with Austin that the writing seemed to have come from athletes themselves. Although objectivity is a must when it comes to certain types of writing, I think the authorial position can be milked a little more in blog form. That said, I would have liked to see a mention that the writers were part of the student athlete community they discuss (we were able to guess, but people from other countries will not.) This would add additional authority to the analysis, not to mention the positive conclusion. It was great to read that, despite the physically demanding commitment, athletics at Stanford are worthwhile and fulfilling; it would be even better if all readers knew that, even beyond the quoted track athlete, they were getting this synthesis straight from the horse's mouth.

Great post, kudos to the athletes at stanford, keep up the good work.