My topic is (for now:) about sports vs. academics in America. I actually got interested in my topic after hearing the incredible forum address last Tuesday by Dr. Benjamin Carson, a very successful neuroscientist, professor, and author. He said something that really stuck with me. He said that America is more worried about sports than academics and that in a survey of the 22 leading countries of the world, America ranked second to last in academics. He said something like "In the end, will it matter more if you can shoot 50 straight free-throws or solve a differential equation?"
I totally agree with his view and so my paper will address the consequences of America spending more energy and money into sports rather than academics. I will take the stance that it is detrimental to our country and its standing in the world. I will also look at online sports as well as normal athletic ones. My research questions will be: How much has America spent on sports compared to academics? How does this compare to other countries? What is America's standing, academically in the world? Why is it important to be academically strong/secure?
I haven't done a ton of research into this yet besides hearing the forum address and some basic information I've heard from different people. I do know that professional athletes make an enormous amount of money while our teachers make barely enough to support a family on. My mom is a 5th grade teacher so I've heard a lot about this:) I care about this because if we want America to keep its freedom and stay as strong as it has been in the past, we need to be able to compete academically with other leading countries.
Ooh, I like your topic a lot! I almost chose the same one. And Dr. Carson's address was so great! Basically, I just like all your ideas! One thing you could consider looking into is athletic vs. academic scholarships at BYU, I have heard that they are pretty lopsided in favor of athletics.
ReplyDeleteYes, this will be a good topic. As of right now, it is very broad, and you will need to do some good researching to help narrow your topic. You might consider taking into account what Alex just said here (to look at athletic vs. academic scholarships at BYU) to help narrow your topic. If you look at it from that specific angle, you will have more of an opportunity to argue for a change. Always think specific over general. Your research can be broader, as long as you use it to narrow your argument down.
ReplyDeleteOne thing you might confront is this: Colleges and universities generally give out academic scholarships very generously, but you might consider the number of large donations they receive from sports fans and organizations that help not only the athletic department but the school. (I'm guessing here, so you'd have to look into that a little more to get an idea of counterarguments).
Good luck!