Last Fall, THE Ave ran a post by a UW Husky, a student athlete whose career in Basketball failed. Now Anthony writes about trying to live on the wage he is paid as a UW cook.
Anthony Washington was once described as the next big thing for Husky Basketball. With great PR in the Seattle media, young Anthony came from Garfield High with a 2.3! That Husky basketball career ended with an injury, a horrid education and a failed student athletic career. Conflicts with the UW coach and a sojourn in the underworld of international basketball left this bright man behind. He took a job here as a cook because it allowed him to take courses.
The UW failed. Despite that, Anthony takes full responsibility for his own life choices. The UW should read this man’s writings and see what an opportunity it lost. I wish “we” would see this story this as a “teaching opportunity” not just for African American students recruited as student athletes, but for the Athletic Department and for all of us who see a UW education as creating opportunity.
This ought not to be a lost opportunity. Hopefully, somewhere on this campus, there will be resources to help a bright man achieve what he might have achieved if we had brought him here for his mind as well as for his physique.
My thinking about three issues is hugely affected by knowing Anthony.
1. Student-athletes need a union. Whatever the administrations and coaches say, they do not represent the interests of these kids.
2. Focus on “diversity” rather than poverty is a mistake. All students from disadvantaged backgrounds need the kind of help the University of Texas offers at Austin. Encouraging any kid to slough off on his education because of some promise they will excel in pro sports is all too reminiscent of the treatment of gladiators or, for African Americans, slaves.
3. The wages we pay UW workers are barbaric. Pope Francis has called this sort of wage “slavery.” The Pope said very simply , a fair wage should leave you enough left over to advance yourself. The UW needs to go to $15 NOW!