After reading Wednesday’s article about the two football players arrested for attempted burglary, I can’t help but wonder…

How many days will they sit on the bench, this being the worst part of their punishment? How long will Iowa State continue dealing with its athletes with such a light hand?

Let’s look at one such case from fairly recent years:

Jackson Vroman was an ISU basketball player who was on a full-ride scholarship for his abilities on the basketball court. He was arrested for possession of marijuana and then later arrested for driving while intoxicated and driving with an expired license plate (on the wrong side of the road, and without a vehicle registration). Pretty heavy charges, in my opinion. His perception in both cases were clearly not what you would call “keen,” and he endangered lives by getting behind a wheel and driving. He was “suspended indefinitely” for his actions. (Read: for a few months — he was reinstated into the team six months later, just in time for a game against the University of Northern Iowa).

To quote the Daily’s article about even more athletes in trouble with the law:

“(Cephus) Johnson is one of five ISU football players who have been arrested during this academic year. Jason Berryman was arrested in August and convicted of serious misdemeanor assault and felony first-degree theft. Joshua Hargis was arrested in October after being accused of striking another student. On Monday, Tyease Thompson and Jerry Gair were arrested and charged with second-degree burglary.”

Five football players, all arrested this year. Given Iowa State’s record with handling situations like these, we’ll likely see five more six-month-long “indefinite suspensions.” No revoking of scholarships, no school expulsions. Just a while on the bench; a veritable “sit in the corner and think about what you did.”

There are many, including myself, who believe that athletes, being in the spotlight for the entire nation to see, should be held to certain standards. They are seen and advertised to a much higher degree than the rest of the students, and as such, they should have standards that reflect such a degree. Many say that the public spotlight itself is grueling. To that, I have to say one thing: Athletes have chosen to be in that spotlight. They could have easily turned their positions down and led the life of the average college student. Instead, they followed the path of that which they enjoy most: playing sports. I do not blame them for such a decision. I can’t say I wouldn’t make the same choice, but with that decision comes certain consequences. Being in the public eye is one of them.

So, what say you, Iowa State? Are your athletes somehow above punishment, while students like Eric Osterholm (the only student to be expelled for his alleged involvement in the Veishea riots; a 3.8-GPA student with a clean record, for those who have not heard anything else about him) are punished to the maximum extent for their crimes? Are you going to set your foot down and firmly say, “You screwed up, now you do the time”? Or are you going to continue with the “indefinite suspension” policy?

Shawn Gealow

Junior

Aerospace Engineering