As a student at a Big 10 school, I hear many rumors about athletes and sports. “Most athletes are in the business school because it has the easiest graduation requirements so they don’t have to worry about grades,” or “General education professors have to fail a certain number of students, but athletes are exempt from that rule.” Despite the ridiculous nature of these myths, one can’t help but notice the central role sports tend to have in the college tradition.

The logic behind the over-glorification of sports and athletes is obvious. Schools funnel money into athletics to ensure that their players have the best advantage. This helps guarantee that teams win, which generates money from ticket sales, concessions, merchandise and a host of other retail factors. Having a rich sports tradition can be enticing to incoming students, thus increasing revenue from tuition. Sports are a cash cow for most universities, which creates a lot of pressure for athletes.

Not only are they responsible for their studies, but they’re also held accountable for their school’s reputation. Everyone from coaches to fellow students to alumni and sportscasters are commentating on their athleticism, creating an unimaginable amount of anxiety. As the NBA playoffs and the NFL draft begin, college athletes are focused on the professional arena of their sport rather than finals.

The time and dedication college athletes put into their sport constitutes the equivalent of a major in their sport.

Most universities suggest that each unit of credit requires two to three hours of studying per week. A full-time student usually takes 15 credit hours, which adds up to thirty to forty-five hours each week studying outside the classroom. The amount of time a college athlete spends practicing most likely surpasses the recommended amount of time a student must dedicate to schoolwork.  Under this schedule, it’s plausible to allow  an athlete to major in a sport.

The next logical question would be what would be the criteria for majoring in basketball or football? Majoring in a sport with the intent of becoming a professional is unrealistic. The curriculum should incorporate numerous aspects of the sport. A player should graduate with knowledge of how a contract negotiation works or how to handle salary discussions. The dynamics of coaching or managing a team should also be emphasized in an athlete’s education, as well as legalities related to sports. This would ensure that upon graduation, an athlete is familiar with all aspects of his or her craft.

The discrepancy between a coach and a professor’s salary has also been a long-standing issue for universities. Professors are providing a lifetime of information to students, which is applicable to their careers, while a coach is merely facilitating entertainment for the university. But the revenue sports rake in for schools and the expertise they can provide to craft a championship-winning team can justify a million- dollar salary, while professors make around $100K.

The last thing a college graduate wants to leave school thinking is that some of their classmates were passed along or given preferential treatment because of their athleticism and not their scholastic merit. The passion a journalism student feels for writing or a law student for justice is comparable to what a football player feels when training for a game. College athletes dedicate grueling hours of workouts and practice to their sports, which warrants the consideration of allowing them to major in it.  This change would also help alleviate the pressure an athlete faces from when trying to balance academics and time for practice. When a student athlete spends as much, or even more time. playing soccer or basketball, it becomes more than just a hobby. When the love of the game becomes a way of life, we should think about turning it into a college major.

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Spot.us is a non-profit website aimed at inspiring civic journalism through “community powered reporting.” Spot.us partners the public with journalists to generate stories on a variety of under-reported topics

At the site, citizens submit news tips, or story ideas they’re passionate about in their communities. Freelance journalists then create pitches from news tips or their own ideas. Next, journalists determine the monetary requirements to complete a story.

Stories are funded by tax-deductible donations from citizens, and an expenses plan is outlined in a journalist’s pitch. Once the funding goal for a story is met, journalists begin the reporting process.

The finished product is available to for any person to republish for free. News publications are allowed exclusive rights to a story, but are required to donate half the cost to fund an already existing pitch.

Founded in 2010 by David Cohn, a freelance writer and fellow at the Reynolds Institute of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Spot.us has successfully created a sense of public service journalism by including a medley of topics to donate to or report on, ranging from a Philadelphia teacher’s use of flash mobs to encourage news literacy among his students, to San Francisco’s plan to turn a former Naval Base into an environmentally wholesome neighborhood.

While the site’s content is mostly West-coast centered, Cohn explains that the Bay Area and Los Angeles are simply a launch pad for this operation, and Spot.us will eventually expand to other cities.

While still in its first year, Spot.us has garnered a steady base of support and attention. Its community centered nature gives it the ability to cover the stories big publications often overlook or don’t have the resources to report on, especially as the season for primaries and elections starts up.

Spot.us started as a project by the center for Media Change, an organization that works to ensure journalism’s survival through the emergence of online publications.

“Journalism is a process, it’s a series of acts and another aspect to that principle is that journalism should be participatory,” says Cohn. “It’s something that the public should engage in.”

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Having developed a short-lived interest in film production, I took a class in high school called “Electronic Media.” We had an assignment where we watched a video interview with the then graduating class of 1991 in order to witness the advancement of film editing techniques over the past ten years. When asked the unavoidably generic question ,“Where do you see yourself in five years?” most replied with the equally generic answer of having the job of their dreams, getting married, having kids, blah, blah, blah. But there was one student who said she hoped to find an alternative fuel source to crude oil and that she also hoped to be part of this solution.

Emily Dickinson said “Forever is composed of nows.” It’s more than likely that fresh-faced teenager who wanted to be part of a solution for a better world became an adult preoccupied with raising children and paying a mortgage, and let those youthful ambitions fall by the way side. Not that there’s anything wrong with a change of priorities, but what happens between youth and adulthood that makes people stop caring? I guess one could argue that taking care of a family and securing a future for said family are more important than ending world hunger. To me, that seems a little selfish.

Take Chris Mburu , the Harvard law graduate from Kenya featured in the HBO documentary, “A Small Act.” After receiving his law degree with the help of a Swedish benefactor, Mburu could have easily become a successful lawyer and live a cushy, problem-free lifestyle. Instead, he chose to focus his career on human rights activism and pay forward the generosity he received to create a foundation for Kenyan to receive scholarships to prep schools in their homeland. Mburu was an activist while living in Kenya and after receiving his education, he continued to be an activist by working with Amnesty International, Global Rights and the United Nations to train human rights activists in different parts of the world to become more effective in human-rights advocacy.

You can probably attribute Mburu’s benevolence to the African mentality that each person needs to leave this world in better shape than when they came into it, which seems to be absent from the minds of most Americans. But there are examples of grown- ups working to better the world in the US.

Billy Wimsatt doesn’t embody the typical standard of youth in America: His enthusiasm for preserving democracy mirrors the optimistically driven ideas of a young person. The 37-year-old Chicago native began Pennies For Democracy, a grass-roots-driven fundraiser based in Washington D.C., in response to the Supreme Court’s 5-to-4 vote against limiting corporate spending in candidate elections. Wimsatt’s  style of protesting? Standing on the steps of the Supreme Court building with a jar of pennies.

“Our country is not for sale. Our democracy is not for sale. They have their millions. But we’ve got jars and jars of pennies,” states Wimsatt on the Facebook page for PenniesforDemocracy. The idea that something as simple as a penny can symbolize the voice and power the everyday citizen has in the democratic process is very inspiring, especially to a young person who may feel powerless or insignificant against unjust legislation; and Wimsatt predicts that this will be the appeal of his cause.

“Our pennies are powerful. Our pennies say: ‘In God We Trust.’ Our pennies say: “E. Pluribus Unum” –from many, one. Our pennies say: ‘Liberty,’” he says.

While Wimsatt admits he hasn’t pushed PenniesforDemocracy into the public eye, his focus right now is on a 12-week voter-engagement effort that allows youth from Missouri to make voter guides for the area. In addition to doing extensive work with youth and the political process, he’s also the chief executive officer of All Hands on Deck, a political, organizational and communications consulting firm, an author and an avid blogger.

I’m not arguing that any one person is solely responsible for the world’s problems or that anyone has to address an issue on the same scale as Wimsatt or Mburu. But if you feel strongly enough about a problem in the world, then why not set aside some time to brainstorm or volunteer for a cause you believe in or an issue you were once passionate about? It can be as simple as starting a blog about the lack of green energy in your neighborhood or holding a can drive for a food pantry. My point is: Adults shouldn’t allow apathy to take over and lose the drive they had as young people to find effective solutions to issues.

The post A jar of pennies, a stranger’s kindness and a serious case of apathy appeared first on Occasional Planet.

Jamala Rogers is a community activist who has done extensive work for black causes and youth development in St. Louis. She is also a columnist for the St. Louis American and has lived and worked in several major cities. In an interview with Occasional Planet (OP), Rogers (JR) discussed youth activism and her experiences with young people.

OP: From 1993 to 2001, you were the director of St. Louis’ Office of Youth Development. After having such heavy involvement in black causes, what made you want to take on this role? How has youth involvement in the city of St. Louis changed since 2001?

JR: Well, I’ve always been involved with youth. My formal training in teaching lead me to be involved with youth development. I’ve always been drawn to youth issues so, for me, it wasn’t a quantum leap.

There are  ebbs and flows with youth activism, even on college campuses. I often go to campuses to speak on particular issues, and [the amount of activism] depends on what’s going on in the world and the capacity of leadership. If young people are passionate about something, they’ll organize. There’s a void because we haven’t had young people step up and address issues.

OP: What drives you to work with youth, in an age when young people are uneducated and apathetic toward what’s going on in their communities and the world?

JR: Young people  have raw energy, raw creativity and raw truthfulness, and these are qualities I admire. The fact that this generation and the generation before have combated so many issues and obstacles that have nothing to do with them, yet they’ve found a way not to get bogged down, is a testament to what they’re capable of accomplishing.

OP: As a young person, you were an activist for black issues during a time of great racial inequality. What do you feel is the greatest struggle for today’s youth?

JR: I still think access to social, political and educational opportunities is the biggest challenge. Even middle-class kids have varied levels of opportunity, because their parents have the capital to make these opportunities known to them. But the poor start at negative ten. The education system isn’t prepping them for opportunities, and our communities as a whole aren’t prepping them. In this age, a very technological age, when people are insensitive and callous about helping people along, you have to find a way to navigate toward your destiny with or without help from a social support system or family support system.

OP: You’ve worked in numerous cities. How does St. Louis compare to these cities and other cities you’ve lived/worked in? How does youth activism in St. Louis compare?

JR: I don’t think that St. Louis is any different from other urban cities. The same situations exist: Schools are in crises, unemployment is high, and there’s a high crime rate. It’s the same everywhere, but there may be more of one thing than the other.  It’s really a lack of cohesion and vision. If you look at St. Louis, there’s no political leadership for African-Americans saying: “The community needs this, and this is what we’ll fight for.” There’s a major lack of cohesion in terms of a plan.

I’d say there’s definitely more activism by youth in other cities. I attended the US Social Forum in Detroit, and St. Louis had three young people who attended, while some cities made it their business to bring youth to the forum. I think about Miami, New York, and Washington DC, three cities represented by large groups of organized delegates who found a way to bring issues to the attention of youth. Some organization is better than no organization.

OP: You have advanced degrees in education. What’s one thing you would do to improve the current condition of St. Louis Public schools?

JR: Start by infusing the philosophy that black children can learn. Despite all the slogans, I don’t think there’s a philosophy that our kids are worthy. You have to have the basic belief system that these kids are worth teaching. If not, you won’t do what’s necessary, and the kids feel it, and they won’t be receptive to what’s being taught. Having the proper facility and supplies are necessary, but I’ve seen kids succeed on the notion that “you’re the best, so be the best.” It’s frustrating for teachers when kids aren’t ready to learn. You need to meet kids where they are and take them to where they can be.

OP: In addition to being a contributor to blogs and websites, you’re a columnist for the St. Louis American and a member of the editorial board for the Black Commentator. What inspires you to write?

JR: I do a lot of social justice work, and I write about the issues I see. I witness people struggling in a particular situation, which is inspiring. A recent example would be when Paul McKee  [a land developer with an ambitious plan for North st. Louis] lost in court to a group of people who fought hard to hold onto their homes and their community.  Seeing people fight for human rights, to me, is very inspiring.

The post Q & A with Jamala Rogers appeared first on Occasional Planet.

It’s 8 pm, and I’m leaving the Dollar Store in University City, Missouri. It’s a magnificent June evening: the sun is setting and a refreshing breeze weaves through the branches of the trees that line the concrete islands of the parking lot.

“This would have been a great day for a bike ride,” I think to myself. “Or for swimming. Or a barbeque…”

As I continue to tally the many uses this day could have served, I see a group of about 20 high-school-age kids hanging out in the back of the parking lot. They seem to be enjoying themselves. Some are on bikes. One dribbles a basketball. All are laughing and joking around. I ask myself, why would a group of teenagers hang out in a grocery store parking lot? As I get into my car, a police car pulls into the parking lot, shooing the kids away. They oblige, not taking offense to the officer’s warning and go on about their evening, still laughing and joking. The officer stays in the parking lot until the kids are far enough away that he knows they won’t return once he’s gone.

I’m still confused about why a Dollar Store parking lot would be a teenage hang out as I make my way home, when I realize that perhaps these kids are the aftermath of the new curfew for the Delmar Loop, an eclectic, six-block entertainment and shopping district in St. Louis.

Mayor Shelly Welsch stated in an article on STLtoday.com that U.City officials are up to the challenge of finding suitable activities for the 16-and-under crowd. A reader commented that the kids who city officials want to keep out of the Loop after hours are the same kids who “terrorized” (his word, not mine) the Metro-Link stations last summer, before Metro Transit increased security presence on platforms. It seems that Mayor Welsch and company need to find something to occupy these adolescent “terrorists,” before they become too attached to their grocery store parking lot.

The Delmar Loop curfew change is only one small contributing factor to the potential issue of kids being disruptive and finding other places to hang out. By the end of summer, they’ll migrate west and become a nuisance to Centennial Commons, a recreation center recently built in University City. St. Louis needs to take a cue from other cities and address its lack of opportunities for youth activism.

In 2008, a group of Chicago business owners recognized that the violence in Chicago was not only becoming increasingly deadly, but for the most part caused by the youth population. They organized a youth-driven and youth-directed social action group that aims to help divert potentially violent energies toward working for social change on a local and global scale. Youth Struggling to Survive also provides an online forum where members can discuss and find solutions to issues in the Chicago area as well as organize community events to promote social change.

Seattle’s Young People’s Project (SYPP) is a youth-led empowerment organization that provides students with a voice to catalyze social change. Since 1992, SYPP has organized social justice education where youth have the opportunity to voice their experience and solutions to issues of inequality.

In addition to building safer communities and schools, Boston’s Center for Teen Empowerment has a mission to education urban youth on human rights. Students and adults work collaboratively to find solutions and provide necessary tools to confront the most difficult problems in their community to foster positive change. Teen Empowerment works to bring authentic youth voices into dialogue about improving communities and mobilize the energy of urban youth to create meaningful change. Teen Empowerment currently works to open neighborhood-based sites to improve their community presence and foster creative initiative for young people.

Some might argue that unlike Washington DC and New York City, two areas deemed the mecca for youth activism, St. Louis doesn’t have the resources to provide and sustain organizations similar to ones in Seattle and Boston. Centennial Commons is a fantastic addition to University City, but a recreation center should be the start of including young people in a process to improve their neighborhoods, with hopes that they’ll become knowledgeable, effective community organizers.

On my way back from the Dollar Store, I pass a group of boys I regularly see playing basketball on most summer evenings. But today, instead of playing their usual game of two-on-two, they’re being searched by police. One boy leans against a squad car as an officer handcuffs him. Two others are being searched. Their hands rest against the side of a house while their faces register anger and embarrassment. One stands off to the side, awkwardly holding the basketball as if he expects the game to pick up where it left off. As neighbors and other drivers assess the disheartening scene playing out on the street, I wonder if these boys were the victims of empty summer days. Days where the end of school ushered in unlimited daylight hours and innocent mischief eventually transformed into illegal activity.

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