I am writing in response to the Daily’s recent column on the laziness and lack of diligence on the part of ISU student-athletes. As a member of the cross-country and track teams here at Iowa State, I can honestly say I was offended and disappointed to read we are viewed as a bunch of lazy athletes who don’t work for things they are blessed with.

First, I would like to address the idea that Iowa State was second among colleges for arrests. Under no circumstances is that OK, and I think the rest of the student-athletes and athletics department would agree with me. We as student-athletes must realize that we represent Iowa State and the community of Ames wherever we go and in whatever we do, on and off the competition site. But let’s be honest, everyone makes mistakes. That doesn’t excuse getting arrested and making poor decisions. I would argue, however, that we are not “granted forgiveness that others would be denied.”

Quite the contrary. In their first week on campus, every freshman student-athlete must attend a student-athlete orientation. It lasts for a few hours, and in it they explain the measuring stick, so to speak, that we are held to as student-athletes. One part of this meeting they make sure to mention is if you make a mistake, big or small, your face will likely be on the front page of the paper within a few days.

Your non-athlete friend gets a minor? Great. They pay a fee and probably get razzed by their parents. As an athlete you get a minor? You are subject to public humiliation with your face on the front page, a suspension from your coach, paying whatever fine you may receive and dealing with your angry parents. Not to mention the possible loss of scholarships, which many student-athletes rely on to afford coming to a top 100 university like Iowa State. Doesn’t sound like entitlement to me. Yes, we as athletes get cool perks, like some free Nike gear and free tutoring. However, don’t forget the standard that we are held to: to be perfect at all times, in all situations.

According to the NCAA bylaw 17.1.5.1, “A student-athlete’s participation in countable athletically related activities shall be limited to a maximum of four hours per day and 20 hours per week.” For ease of explanation, these hours basically only count towards weight lifting, organized practice and team meetings. Training room time and many other team related activities are not added to this 20 hour per week limit.

Let’s be honest, I spend far more than 20 hours per week training and preparing to race and being the best I can be. It is a daily decision to eat right, get your schoolwork done and compete to the highest level. Yes, we look like slobs sometimes, but often those athletes have been up since 5 a.m. lifting or attending practice. By the time practice ends and it’s time to go to class, you no longer care what you look like. I, as much as any girl on campus, would love to see some football players dressed up and looking fine on game day. However, I also understand why they are often in sweats. Our football players, along with the rest of the ISU teams are some of the hardest working people at this university.

I by no means want to condone the poor decisions of some student-athletes and the mentality that they are entitled. However, please remember that they make up the minority, not the majority. Over half the student-athletes at Iowa State boast a GPA higher than 3.0, many of which are much higher. These are the same high caliber, talented names you often see in the Daily. If you don’t believe me, you can look it up for yourself on Cyclones.com.

So I just encourage you, the next time you see a distressed, sloppy looking student-athlete, give them a hug instead of deciding they don’t work as hard or think they are entitled. We are people too, and we, just as much as the most die-hard fan, want to see Iowa State Athletics succeed. Personally, I cried after each big win for Iowa State this year. Why? Because I knew how many hours of hard work, training room time and the extreme dedication it took to get to that point.