SECTION TWO
MONDAY, DECEMBER9, 1991
KU athletes boast high graduation rates
Kansas' 54 percent rate ranks first in Big Eight
On schedule to graduate next December, Tony Sands, Kansas senior, studies with his wife, Calandra, in their dining room in Stouffer Place.
Kansan Sportswriter
By David Mitchell
Kansas Sportswriter
Mark Rowlandt / KANSAN
Senior Tony Sands rushed for an NCAA record 396 yards in his game in a Kansas uniform. Sands scored 27 of those 396 yards, hawksembawksmassed Missouri 15-29.
"If I could play in the NFL, that would be great," Sands said. "First of all, I want to get my degree."
Reporters swarmed the tiny tailback during a postgame news conference, asking Sands whether his record-shattering performance enhanced his chances of continuing his career on the professional level.
Sands' first priority is not pro ball, and he is not alone. Jayhawk athletes graduate at a higher rate than the average KU student.
A report released this fall revealed that of 103 freshman athletes entering the University in the fall of 1984, 54 percent graduated by August 1989.
Of the 3,520 freshmen who entered the University that fall, 47 percent graduated during the same five-year period.
The Big Eight's best
Paul Bushkirk, assistant athletic director for student support services, said it was no surprise that Jayhawk athletes graduated at a higher rate.
"The University has always been strict," Buskirk said. "The expectations have been set higher for student athletes, and I think that is appropriate. We cannot allow student athletics to suffer because of athletics."
The figures back up Buskirk's claims. Kansas' 54 percent graduation rate was the highest among Big Ten teams. Colorado was second at 73.3 percent.
"Our student athletes are doing very well," said Bob Frederick, athletic director. "People feel pretty confident in direction of our athletic department."
Kansas players said the University's academic claims were more than just talk.
No other Eight school graduated more than half of its student athletes from 1984 to 1989. Less than 30 percent of the athletes at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State graduated during that time period.
"People say they stressacademics, but I know at some schools they don't," said former Kansas basketball player Mark Randall.
Randall, a former Academic All-Big Eight selection, was one of five former Jayhawk basketball players to walk through graduation ceremonies last spring. However, Randall is one class short of fulfilling his graduation requirements. He plans to finish his course work this summer.
Though he is playing professional-
1y with the NBA-champion Chicago Bulls, Randall said finishing his education was vital.
"Sports are important, and you want to do the best you can," Randall said. "But there's a point in life when you ask yourself, What are you going to do if you don't have that education?"
Sands said that if his dream of play-
ing professional football did not come true,
he would be happy to put his
degree to work.
Sands, the Big Eight offensive player of the year, is on schedule to complete his degree in crime and delinquency in December 1992.
"You never know what can happen in football," Sands said. "Working in criminal justice is something I've been taught about." Kids and take drugs off the streets.
The Florida native escaped the inner city of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where he saw drugs and violence every day.
If Sands does make it with a professional team, he will complete his final six hours during the summer of 1993, he said.
Student support services works to make sure student athletes leave the University with a degree so they can succeed in the professional world when they are cheering stops. The office of Student Support, advising and long-term planning
The office also monitors the progress of students. Weekly meetings are conducted with freshmen and first-year students in their first semester at the University.
Sands said his tutor, Kathleen Gabriel, made the transition from high school to college academics an easy one.
"At first I thought I was going to be lost, she said. "She helped us outline each semester and which classes we had to take and made that a lot easier."
Student support services also certifies athletes' eligibility for the conference and the NCAA.
"Our mission is very simple," Buskirk said. "We support student athletes in their academic progress and personal growth."
Room for improvement
Wayne Walden, assistant director of student support services, said the athletic department continually improved the program.
"We've been able to expand and offer more individual attention than in the past two or three years," Walden said. "We didn't have the resources or the people in place that we have now."
Walden said the office consisted of just a few individuals during the early 1800s. The office now employs four full-time counselors, four part-
time directors, three graduate assistants and 45 tutors to deal with about 420 varsity athletes.
Walden said that all of the Big Eight schools had academic programs similar to KU's and that a new NCAA rule required all Division I universities to offer student support. Walden said the difference between KU and its conference rivals was the Jayhawk coaches.
"They've brought in good kids and put an emphasis on academics," he said. "I'd like to think it's a credit to our coaches and our office."
Buskirk agreed.
"Without the support of the coaching staff, we would get nowhere," Buskirk said. "We're really blessed with the coaches we have now. They believe in the student part of student athlete."
Making the grade
Though student athletes graduate at a higher rate than the average student, their grade point averages are similar. Last spring, Kansas athletics recorded a cumulative 2.81 GPA, the highest since the statistic was first kept in Fall 1986. Seven varsity programs recorded a team-record GPA. The volleyball team was at the top of the list with a 3.2 GPA.
The Kansas volleyball team finished third in conference play this fall and qualified for the Big Eight tournament. However, Coach Frankie Albitz said the team's first priority was success in the classroom.
"Almost anyone can get a 3 if they put in the effort," she said. "I expect my team to get a 3 or better. They're smart enough to take advantage of what we try to do with them. If they need a 3.0, I start watch them."
Albitz said her team's academic strength was a selling point during recruiting.
"If I felt a recruit was not capable of keeping up with KU, I wouldn't even try," she said.
In most non-revenue sports, athletes realize that they will not be able to move on to the professional ranks if they fail to be reflected in hard how they study.
See Kansas teams, p.8
Kansas athletes score in class
Kansas athletes graduated at a higher rate than the
content and the highest rate in the Big
Eight Conference.
Percent of Fall '84 freshmen who graduated by Fall '89 Percent of Fall '84 recruited athletes who graduated by Fall '89
source: Kansas Sports Information
Michael Gier/KANSAN
Better diets now benefit holiday health
By Kerrie Gottschalk
By Kerrie Gottschalk
Kansan staff writer
Poor eating during finals can lead to overeating during the holidays, a health hazard.
According to Candylee Waitley, health educator at Watkins Memorial Health Center, if students eat healthier foods during finals, they likely will concentrate better.
They also may feel better and may not want to overheat during the holidays, she
*Students start feeling low on energy and
in turn to high-fat foods, sugars and caffeine.*
She said those foods were convenient but nutritionally were poor.
She said students should eat high carbohydrate foods such as macaroni, bread, potato and carrot. They also need foods metabolize slower than high-sugar foods and create a more stable energy level.
"By the time some students go home, their bodies are literally starving. Wales said,
Students also should avoid overeating and try to exercise during the holidays.
roundy spurling is fine as long as it is planned, said Ann Chapman, dietitian at
"From time to time you can have an all-out splurge," she said. "But you need to be careful."
"Holidays are real challenging times around food."
Americans typically gain ten to 10 points during the holiday season, Chapman said.
Chapman offered some advice for coping with the challenge of enjoying holiday foods
people need to set realistic goals for themselves during the holidays, she said, and it is a challenge.
A good time to get vigorous exercise is before meals, said Kenneth Cooper, founder and president of The Aerobics Center in Dallas.
In fact, if people know they will be beating a big meal, Chapman suggested that they would have to
"This is not the time to start a diet," she said.
"Exercise before a meal suppresses appetite," he said. "It makes you thirsty but
A bad time for vigorous exercise is up to 90 minutes afterward, he said.
She also recommended that people take small tastes of their favorite foods and avoid foods that they can eat any time during the year.
Chapman said fasting or skipping meals usually made people eat more.
While self-responsibility is important, people should not panic and beate them.
"Criticizing yourself only helps to perpetuate the overeating cycle," she said.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Avoid holiday weight gain
Yes, you can avoid gaining weight this season without losing any of the holiday spirit. Here's how:
De-emphasize food. Instead, focus on the meaning of the holidays, on your own family traditions and on the pleasures of spending quality time with family and friends.
Keep temptation out of sight. If you see food, you often reach for it. Snack foods beside the TV can be irresistible, especially if someone else starts nibbling.
Relax. It's all right to eat a big meal now and then.
Sometimes it happens. One big meal will not sabotage your weight. Our bodies can adjust and handle it. But we need to remember a big traditional meal is just that — one meal. It’s not a six-week eating marathon. Return quickly to moderation.
Exercise daily. With much eating and sitting around, physical activity is a welcome change. It reduces stress and gives renewed vigor and enthusiasm.
If you gain weight, get it off quickly. Eat less and exercise more until that extra weight is gone.
Source: Obesity & Health (Nov. 1989)
Melissa Unterberg / KANSAN
Some say aid policy will worsen problem
The Associated Press
BOSTON — College freshman Thabisa Zwane shook his head as he read about the government's new policy forforbidding race-
"There already is a gap between Blacks and whites," said the Northeastern University student, who is African-American. "This will definitely make it worse. It will fire up the Blacks and increase the resentment of the whites."
The Bush administration on Wednesday barred scholarships awarded solely on a racial basis but said colleges receiving federal funds may use financial aid to attain racial, cultural and geographic balance.
The American Council on Education and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities said fewer than 1 percent of university and college students receive aid based exclusively on race.
Many African-American students and professors worried about the impact of Education Secretary Lamar Alexander's
"There are some fairly mean-spirited people on campuses these days around issues such as affirmative action policies," said Donald L. Polk, a professor at Suffolk University Law School.
"They will be emboldened by a policy like this," he said. "They will see this as a victory and as a reason press on with the support of our leaders."
Many white students at Northeastern said they had no problem with race-based scholarships.
Frank Snyder, a Northeastern junior, said scholarships for minorities help to balance things out.