Kai Godsey / The Mossy Log
Two student groupings, both alike in dignity, exist at fair Lewis and Clark, where we lay our scene.
We are a school divided. Between many student-athletes and NARPs (non-athletic regular people), as they are called in the online sphere, exists a deeper tension than many have acknowledged lately.
As somebody who has, regrettably, played into harmful stereotypes about athletes for laughs in our satire section, albeit with no genuine malice, I am aware of the dangers of pitting one group against the other.
This social rigidity between athletes and NARPs has created a damaging culture here at LC, as seen everywhere from low turnout at sports games to athlete-bashing on YikYak, an anonymous social media app used by many students.
Varsity athletes make up “almost 20 percent” of our school’s population, according to the college’s website, with even more participating in club sports such as rock climbing, rugby, ultimate frisbee and more. With LC being in the NCAA’s Division III, not one athlete on this campus receives a sport-related scholarship — all players here are devoted to the game simply for their own enjoyment. Despite the massive time commitment of early morning or late night practices, weight lifting, off-season training and traveling for games, DIII athletes set aside huge blocks of time out of love for the sport, not to mention the demanding physical aspects and dangers of participation. The challenge of juggling schoolwork on top of athletics responsibilities can be exhausting, I am sure, and student athletes certainly have my respect for it.
I hate to be a journalist who quotes YikYak — I promise I rely largely on reputable sources — but nonetheless, a recent post reads, “Nothing more frightening than trying to walk back from class and there is a fb (football) player ahead of you that has to fist bump approximately 50 teammates.” While this can be read as merely an expression of mild annoyance at walking pace, it also takes on an inherently disdainful tone, whether for athletes in general or for the close camaraderie between teammates.
Language is powerful. Thank you, kindergarten-level golden rule. The language both sides of this divide choose to use can either drive us further apart, or bring us together. Not to sound too cliche. While it may sound overly-sensitive, the use of “NARP” in and of itself creates an inherent differentiation between athletes and “non-athletes.” The other side of the coin is the belief and voicing of harmful, unfounded stereotypes about athletes, whether they be regarding behavior, academic performance, etc. Be mindful, ye who doth use nuanced language.
On the other hand, while comforting to players, this camaraderie can be turned on its head. Often, athletes tend to stick closely to their teammates in academic settings, not necessarily unwilling, but uninclined to extend the olive branch to your average NARP. This furthers the divergence between the two groups.
Of course, this divide is also seen in the mostly empty bleachers at many games and matches. NARPs very rarely make an effort to support school sports, unless they directly know somebody on the team. As you can imagine, this is hardly encouraging for student-athletes, who thrive on energy from the crowd. At a DI school, almost every student would be showing up for football, soccer and basketball games, wearing merch, painting themselves school colors. LC has low school spirit in general, and this is seen especially when it comes to our sports — an aspect of college life that other universities take deep pride in. Having a stronger sense of school spirit would be beneficial – it would not only help student athletes feel more supported, but also create a stronger sense of unity across all groups on campus.
Working in sports journalism has been personally helpful in many ways. First of all, I am more informed not only about games going on at LC but also more acquainted with the more emotional and social aspects of what it means to play sports here. I recommend reading our sports section for meaningful interviews with athletes as well as information on past and upcoming games.
Whether you enjoy watching sports or not, it is a meaningful practice to show up and support student-athletes at games they participate in for the sheer pleasure of playing. I would love to see fuller bleachers in the future, and I am sure the student-athlete population feels the same.
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