By LUCIA
BARRANTES VEGA
Sports Editor
As the semester approaches, so does the anxiety of the past few weeks. Although it is already stressful, now imagine having to schedule some of these exams a week in advance because of your sport.
This is the case for some of the Northwestern Oklahoma State University teams. Some student-athletes have to reschedule finals to make way for sporting events that will take place during traditional finals week.
Sometimes the pressure to perform well on the field also clashes with the pressure to excel in the classroom, since you cannot be a good athlete without being a good student.
In this case, the university, rather than forcing students to choose between academic obligations or supporting their teams, has chosen to adjust the academic calendar to ensure that students can fully participate in both areas.
For example, as women’s track and field head coach Jill Lancaster mentions, athletes on the track team will do some of their finals the week before.
This is because the Great American Conference tournament will be in the week already defined for the final exams. In addition, she comments that the graduation walk was also moved for the same reason.
In this way, student-athletes will be able to be present at both events without having to choose between them. The tournament will be held at Southern Arkansas University from May 1-3 for men and women.
A curious fact that Lancaster said is that the team has stood out for about four years with a notable GPA.
This shows the dedication of the athletes not only in their sport but also in terms of study topics.
This is not just the case for track and field teams. The baseball team is in a similar situation because the first date of the Great American Conference tournament will be May 3 and 4 in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
For this reason, student athletes with finals scheduled for May 3 will have to take their exams on other days to be able to attend the tournament. This reflects the nature of life for student-athletes where they must make adjustments for academic and athletic demands.
By adjusting the calendar, NWOSU demonstrates the commitment to supporting and fostering a well-rounded college experience.
