Students and standards

Athletes, high-profile people deserve as much criticism as ‘average Joe’

Students come to USC for all sorts of reasons. Some come on academic scholarships, some because they have many friends here, some to be on sports teams and some with big dreams. All who enroll in the university are a part of the face of the university and should be held to that standard.

With high-profile students, such as sports players, there is a lot of pressure to perform a certain way and to uphold a certain code of ethics. But student-athletes and other students with similar statuses shouldn’t be the only ones held to a higher standard. We are all the face of University of South Carolina. We should all be equal.

People may argue that those who are on the forefront of the media coverage and whose names get thrown around a lot should be examples and should be cautious that their every action is being watched because the university reaps the consequences of what they do. But every student, no matter what class and no matter what student organization he or she belongs to, should still play his or her role in holding up the university and its policies.

Simply because a student’s name is known because he or she can run with a football, jump up to a hoop, engage in public speaking activities or put on a charity event should not make the student more prone to repercussions.

I am by no means suggesting that the standard by which the university expects its students to act should be lowered. I am suggesting that it be raised to the same level for all students. It seems that if a student’s name is recognized with an athletic team or prestigious university club, he or she somehow is awarded an extra honor code.

What about the students who are hard-working in and out of the classroom? These students are the ones the community has a daily connection with. These students are just as much the face of the university as others.

The university should not limit its expectations of students to those who are more well-known. Whether people are celebrities within the university or not, we all need to be familiar with and be held to the same rules and expectations. It is only fair.

The university does a good job recognizing those out there who play hard, win big and cause a scene, but the school should reach out to the little people on campus, hear their stories, see what they are accomplishing and, if need be, expose them to the same brunt of ridicule or respect as they do other students. Just because a student is gifted does not mean he or she should be judged harder or held to harsher standards.