For Pitt athletes, the student-to-tutor ratio is vastly more personal than that of… For Pitt athletes, the student-to-tutor ratio is vastly more personal than that of non-athletes. At the Academic Support Service for Student Athletes, members of Pitt teams are offered much more attention and longer hours than the average student can find at the Writing Center. The ASSSA also makes it possible for athletes to be excused from as many classes as deemed necessary.

The discrepancies between the privileges enjoyed by athletes and those granted to everyone else are obvious. But students and teachers are an understanding bunch, letting the inequality slide because of all the benefits that sports bring to the University. Football and basketball, in particular, flood the school with recognition, pride and good times.

And such admirable service does not come without a cost. Players work all year to perform their best, and class schedules will often collide with practices and away games. Athletes put in the time and energy, so they reap some benefits.

But at the same time, many hours of workouts and practices cannot overshadow the hard work of less-visible students. It can be argued that football players work extremely hard and therefore deserve a few breaks, but that doesn