BY HADLEY THOMPSON, NEWS ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
The St. Bonaventure University men’s basketball team competed this past Tuesday in the National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
The hype of the team being in the final four and the transportation opportunity encouraged students to watch the game live in New York City, leaving classrooms with many open seats.
Some professors were concerned about students missing their classes for this game.
The Rev. Kyle Haden, O.F.M., associate professor of theology, questioned the students traveling, but understood the importance of this opportunity.
“I am not a big sports fan, so I tend to wish students wouldn’t miss class. But I also know that there is more than just class time in college experience,” said Haden.
Mary-Rose Kubal, professor of political science, teaches two classes on Tuesdays. She said that she found these classes important for students considering they qualify for their major, and general education credits.
“They’re both major and minor requirements for political science and there are also students that take these classes for their general education social credit,” said Kubal.
Kubal mentioned that she has colleagues that have made adjustments to their schedules because of the lack of students that will be in class, instead of canceling the class. She explained professors are not supposed to outright cancel classes due to New York state regulation.
“New York state regulates the number of contact hours we are supposed to have. Officially, if a class gets canceled, there has to be a makeup class. Nobody wants that,” said Kubal.
Kubal mentioned that students had missed class for ticket sales for the game on the previous Thursday. This would mean all together that students could be missing a week and a half of scheduled class.
This idea of students, possibly, missing a week and a half of classes that Kubal shared led her to question the donations of alumni to send students to the game.
To mark this special occasion of the Bonnies competing in the tournament, Bonaventure alumni raised more than $48,000 for transportation so that current students could go to the game.
Kubal said, “I think it is great that we have really engaged alumni who are willing to raise money so that our students can go to this, but if you can raise $30,000 to bus our kids out of classes, can you raise that much to give to the student success center to help our students after they get back?”
Kubal elaborated on her feelings about the university’s sway of athletics over academics.
“It does sometimes, and I do not know if it is always true, but it feels like it is easier to fundraise for athletics than academics,” said Kubal.
Other professors understand the feeling of athletics over academics on campus.
Adam Brown, professor of elementary education, said he had class in an online form on Tuesday. He hoped his plan for class would help to keep students on track.
Brown said how consequential he thinks a student’s education is to not only themselves but the university.
“I think at any university, the most important thing, or at least high on the list, is academics. It’s the reason you’re here. I do not mean to degrade athletics in any way,” said Brown.
Ending his explanation, Brown said his point of view.
“When push comes to shove,” said Brown “I will side with academics.”
Thompshp20@bonaventure.edu
