Privilege In College

Is privilege actually a play on words when one examines the possible outcome of it? Privilege is summed up as the rights that people have yet they have done nothing to earn them. This sounds great for the privileged, but what about the non-privileged person, how does it make them feel? I had to really look into some areas of my life to see where I felt most privileged. I have to say that the one thing that weighed heaviest on my mind was the fact that I am a NCAA athlete at a Division I school. Yes, I did have to work for many years to earn a full ride scholarship to such a prestigious university, but I am definitely privileged because of it. There are many perks that go along with that fact that I am a student athlete. It is an enormous

As an athlete, it is not only the financial aspect that I am privileged with. There are many things that I receive that most students don’t; for example free clothing, an advisor that sets my schedule, free healthy snacks, and the list goes on. I have never put into perspective how privileged I am to represent the University of Oklahoma as a student athlete. On the flip side, maybe I just wanted to avoid the guilt that showed up when I thought about the privilege I am experiencing as a student athlete. It is hard to admit that I am more privileged than non-athlete students because I know the time and effort it takes to participate in a sport. One of the greatest gifts of being a student athlete is the memories and friendships of a lifetime that are made. The fact that we as athletes get first choice on course selections and so many cool material items are just a couple of reasons why non-athlete students could view us a spoiled. They feel like they are being slighted. They may even view us as materialistic and

This is where the play on words exists; privilege is something we all want but at the same time we don’t want. I have opportunities given to me that people could only dream of experiencing and having simply because I am an athlete. We get a free education, endless amounts of clothes, more than enough money to live off of month to month, to travel to new places almost every weekend during season, and most importantly memories that will last a lifetime. It is so important to examine ourselves and recognize the areas of life that we our privileged. Once we admit the areas we are privileged in and learn to accept others where their privileges exist, the negative feelings will