Birds of a feather flock together. It’s a cliché, but one that is thoroughly embodied at Guilford. Through the course of schooling and socializing, we all fall into certain patterns that dictate our environment, our hobbies, our friends, and the context of our lives. It’s inevitable. It is human nature to surround oneself with people of similar interests and values. These patterns create groups of friends which are often labeled as “cliques.” Of these cliques, none are more far-reaching or widely felt than our notable campus cliques – the athletes and the non-athletes.

Guilford attracts a variety of students. Some come to follow their Quaker heritage. Some come because they want a liberal-arts-based education. Some come because Guilford enjoys a good reputation in the realm of higher education. As it seems, though, more and more students are coming to follow their athletic passions.

It is undeniable that in recent years, Guilford has experienced an explosion in our athletic community. We’ve got new tennis courts, a renovated weight room, a fresh turf field and a new baseball batting center, currently under construction. Also, with continuous success in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) playoffs, both our basketball and golf teams have been making the news in local papers and TV stations.

With more publicity and monetary contributions, Guilford athletics are quickly becoming a bigger pull for potential students. But, with such a rise in our athletic student body, the tension on the athlete and non-athlete divide is emphasized.

Such chasms in the student body are problems. They stifle the overall unity and open atmosphere of our campus, and, more importantly, oppose our core values of community and diversity.

“Each side is perpetuated by negative stereotypes,” said Bryan Jones, Guilford’s coordinator for sports marketing.

Some of those stereotypes result from things like the Bryan incident two years ago and the negative coverage of athletic coaches and processes. Those occurrences paint a negative picture of athletes and athletics. What’s important to remember is that these acts are nothing but shining examples of bad apples.

“People let one experience set the tone,” said Jones. “And too often that experience is negative.”

It becomes easy to criticize, hard to empathize.

We must act now to address the divide and quench any smoldering ashes. There are solutions. All it takes is a little dignity-swallowing and some willpower.

For example, athletes thrive on support. Support from their coaches, their teammates, their family, but also support from their fans.

“Attendance at sporting events is more or less regulated by wins and losses,” said Jones. And, although Guilford sports may not have the best record, it is important nonetheless to support our teams. When athletes see fans and many fresh faces in the crowd, it boosts their morale. They feel supported by their community, and, in turn, perform better.

What’s great about that solution – it’s a win-win situation.

“I got into athletics by first being a fan,” said Jones.

Simply attending a sporting event could change your perspective. The point is, non-athletes can find a place in the athletic world and vice versa.

“Since our athletes are Division III, they have the advantage of an off season,” said Jones. “This gives them an opportunity to branch off.”

Guilford athletes are Bonner scholars, they head community service projects – they aren’t the stereotypical jocks we all remember from high school because, as Jones said, “that doesn’t help them here.”

“Another solution comes in finding a compromise,” said Nick Foreman, a junior on the club rugby team.

And, indeed, club sports do offer a unique opportunity that seems to bridge the gap. These students are athletes and hippies, drug-users and competitors. They live a life that pulls from both sides and can easily navigate from one to the other.

For the time being, let’s all just be thankful we’re at a Division III school. If our athletes were competing to go professional, the divide would be exponentially larger, with more rigid banks and a deeper plunge.