The divide between the athlete and non-athlete student populations is one of the most notorious and persistent divisions on campus. Last fall, a group of faculty, coaches and students created “Building Bridges” as a way of addressing the issue.
The project consists of two programs. Each requires a different commitment level, but both assign a faculty member to an athletic team to serve as a friend and mentor.
In the Coach-for-a-Day program, a professor spends a day with the team at an away game and participates in pre- and post-game activities, as well as cheering on the team during the game.
The Faculty Mentor program is a larger time commitment. In it, a faculty member attends practices and games and acts as a mentor and advisor to the team for the duration of the season.
“I feel that the faculty is somewhat distant when it comes to sporting events and maybe even some other school events,” said sophomore Courtney Kozar, a softball and volleyball player, in an e-mail interview.
Kozar expressed appreciation for the professors that do support Guilford athletics.
“Jon Hatch attended every home volleyball game and was very vocal in the crowd. Seeing him outside the court, and thanking him for coming to the games, just positively affected the whole experience every time I went into Duke or saw him at the Mexican restaurant across the street. He always had something positive to say and I was always able to give him a report on our status.”
Building Bridges’ purpose is multifaceted, but its aim is to promote greater understanding among faculty of the pressures and challenges faced by student-athletes and to build relationships between the two.
“We really would like the faculty to get a better idea of what student-athletes have to do, balancing sports and academics,” said Andy Rowe, head coach for men’s lacrosse.
“At the same time we would like to get more student-athletes involved on campus and get another person on campus to talk to besides their advisor. It’s just one more person in their support system.”
By linking teams with professors, particularly those whose personal and professional areas of expertise aren’t usually associated with athletics, the program hopes to promote understanding on both sides.
“This will help faculty see that not only do we work hard in class, but (also) on the field, like other students with their music and their art,” said Amber Stapler, senior softball and soccer player.
Additionally, having a mentor with diverse interests will expose students to subjects and interests they might not have found otherwise.
“More than half of my students are taking religion courses,” said Eric Lewis, head coach of women’s soccer. “Before, none were. That’s a tangible result.”
The program also indirectly addresses the rift between coaches and faculty.
“I think the root of the problem of relations between student-athletes and non-athletes is the problem between faculty and coaches,” said Lewis. “Why else has it existed for so long? If we get our problems worked out, it will trickle down.”
The program’s creators believe that building these relationships will help integrate student groups and strengthen the community as a whole.
“We’re a small campus; nobody’s very far away from anybody, but we naturally fall into our particular social arenas,” said Mark Justad, director of the Center for Principled Problem Solving. “We have to be intent on breaking out of those, and make sure we are talking across lines, which is an important part of maintaining community.”
Creating and maintaining a healthy and cohesive community is at the heart of Building Bridges. The project was implemented in the aftermath of the Bryan incident, a fight involving football players and non-athletes that polarized the campus.
“I think whether or not there really is or should be a gap between athletes and non-athletes, there is a perceived gap, and the Bryan incident highlighted those vibrant perceptions,” said Eric Mortensen, assistant professor of religious studies and one of the program’s founders. “It’s almost too bad the Bryan fight became central in this because the program is really about community awareness and community building in a way that’s much more nuanced than just the Bryan fight.”
Building community requires effort on the part of all involved, however, and the program has struggled with a lack of interest. Out of 16 varsity sports, only half have a faculty mentor.
“I’m not asking that (only) professors do something,” said Lewis. “Coaches need to do something besides sit in this building and work on recruiting. I’m not pointing fingers at them; I’m pointing them at us too. We need to get out of the ivory towers we’re stuck in.”
With cooperation and increased involvement by all, the program could be the key to bringing the different student populations closer.
“I think Building Bridges is an awesome program,” said Kozar. “I think this could only help the athlete/non-athlete relationship. If athletes are beginning to take classes outside their major, we are bound to meet people with dissimilar interests than in classes we would normally take.