Breaking Down the Prompt

Please reread information from the first page of the Pay College Athletes? synthesis packet, which I have included below. Notice that the information provides context, and it also includes the prompt and basic expectations for the response. When you are finished reading this information, please post a comment to this post that answers the following questions:

1. Paraphrase the instructions listed under "Directions."
2. What information from the "Introduction" part of the prompt do you believe is most helpful in presenting the issue/topic of the packet? Why do you think this information is most helpful?
3. The "Assignment" part of the prompt asks you to create an argument that argues one of two options. What are the two options the prompt asks you to select from?
4. What are a few other important instructions or details you should pay attention to in this information?

Pay College Athletes? Synthesis Packet

Directions: The following prompt is based on the accompanying sources.

This question requires you to synthesize a variety of sources into a coherent, well-written essay. When you synthesize sources, you refer to them to develop your position and cite them accurately. Your argument should be central; the sources should support the argument. Avoid merely summarizing sources.

Remember to attribute both direct and indirect references.

Introduction

With increased income and revenue being generated by college athletics at major NCAA Division 1 schools in the United States, the question of whether or not to pay student athletes beyond paying for their schooling has developed over the years. According to an article in The Business Insider, the athletic department’s total revenue at the University of Texas for the 2011 - 2012 school year was $163.3 million.  A little closer to home, at the University of Wisconsin, the athletic department’s total revenue for the same year was $101.5 million (Gaines).  Some argue that much of this money being generated by the athletic departments should be given back to the people who are primarily responsible for bringing in the money:  the athletes.  Others claim that scholarship athletes are given enough already, as much, if not most, of their college tuition is paid for by athletic scholarships.  

Assignment

Read the following sources (including the introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources, develop a position on whether or not college athletes participating at the NCAA’s Division I level should be paid for their participation at their respective schools. Your position should be that the cons of paying these athletes would outweigh the pros, or vice versa.

You may refer to the sources by their titles (Source A, Source B, etc.) or by the descriptions in parentheses.

Source A (Edelman, Marc)

Source B (Mitchell, Horace)

Source C (McKee, Rick)

Source D (Darko, John)

Source E (Nocera, Joe)

Source F (Dabad, Jane)

Work Cited in Introduction

Gaines, Cork.  “The 25 Schools That Make The Most Money In College Football.”  The Business Insider.

16 January 2013.  Web.  18 November 2014.