Schools Know More than Doctors!

Yes, it's true. School officials now know more about the workings of your own body than your doctor. At least, that's what SMU seems to think. This video article about a young girl who won a cheerleading scholarship really got my goat...

And we all know what happens when my goat gets got.

Basically, for those of you afraid to follow links, Jamie Burns has a heart condition not covered by the school's insurance. She wears a pacemaker to correct the problem. This isn't a "new" condition. She's had it for a very long time. She's been cheering for a very long time. Her cardiologist (ya know, the guy that messes with your heart and has a degree specifically to do so) cleared her for activity. She should "avoid contact sports, but cheerleading is okay."

The school said no.

She signed a waiver saying that if something were to happen to her, she wouldn't sue the school.

The school said no.

But, they gave her a scholarship...which she gets to keep. But she doesn't get to cheer. She can clap on the sidelines. She can't do any of the movements associated with cheering.

What's the point?

In her own words, she's being punished for nothing. My guess is she was better than the squad leader and the coach had her favorites. Jamie wasn't one of them. Kinda like that Little League kid, huh? You're too good, Jaime. You make others have to work harder! Curse you!

Apparently, the school (who justifies this by saying she's potentially endangering other people) knows what's best for her and her health. Not her cardiologist. But, apparently, the school also knows they're doing something wrong...because they didn't yoink her scholarship. She gets to keep it...

I thought if you weren't able to participate in the sport, you didn't get the money? Isn't that how a scholarship works? Something's rotten in Texas...

Now, I've had colleges deny me things that I was passionate about. Of course, like the sheep I am, I didn't fight it too much. Not until they insisted I had a bad attitude for which I should be expelled. The idea of having a lawyer make them pay me for attending their college, however, didn't appeal to them, so they left me alone. A small cheer from the deans arose when I accepted my diploma.

But, I digress.

The scenario the sports administrator gave was one of the most unlikely events. If she were to be the base of a pyramid and collapse, she could endanger everyone above her. First of all. That scenario can happen to any cheerleader. I've seen it. Second of all. It's called "SPOTTER" for a reason. Anyone above the second tier relies on a spotter to catch them. Third of all. Cheerleading is a sport. There is risk of injury. If you're that concerned with liability, why have a sports program?

Good grief! Jamie's quite healthy and quite active. She's in excellent physical condition, from what I can see, and she strives to make herself better. And you want to bench her?! She's probably the best cheerleader you will ever have...and that's why you want her on the bench.

Or ... is it something else...

Like the fact she seems to be black.

Oh, yes... I drew the race card...

Before making arbitrary decisions about someone else's life and second-guessing someone who knows more about their field than you do, really consider how it looks to the rest of the world--ya know, the people who may actually have been considering your university...