Burger Talk: WSSU gets coaches, profs together to eat

Academics and athletics don't often share the same space at Winston-Salem State. That changed for a little while yesterday because of Bill Hayes, the university's energetic new athletics director.

Hayes brought the groups together for the inaugural Dr. Reginald Sherard Academic Cookout, a three-hour indoor picnic at the Gaines Center. The purpose of the picnic -- named after a former player for Hayes who is now a doctor in Goldsboro -- is to foster a better relationship between the groups. Hayes hopes it will become an annual tradition.

Sherard, a 1978 WSSU graduate who played cornerback and was a three-time All-CIAA academic scholar, spoke to several athletes about the importance of education and what it did for him.

"This is a great way to open the lines of communications between the professors and the athletes," Hayes said.

WSSU has nearly 300 athletes, and their instructions were simple -- take these invitations and invite your professors to a picnic. The groups had chances to talk casually yesterday, discussing topics such as missing classes because of conflicts with athletics or how to make up missed assignments.

The cookout is the first of its kind at WSSU, but Hayes organized similar gatherings as the AD at N.C. Central and Florida A&M.

"This is all about communication between athletes and coaches and the faculty," Hayes said. "It can make a big difference because students miss class with games and meets and things like that so we want the professors and teachers to know what's going on in athletics."

One of the many faculty members who attended was Martha Low, who has been a psychology professor at WSSU for 12 years. She said she enjoyed sitting down to get to know some of the athletes and meeting the coaches.

"There's a disconnect between folks in academics and folks in athletics," Low said. "But some of my best students have always been athletes, whether it's basketball or football or other sports. Actually, some of my dream students have come from the athletic side."

She said that getting to know athletes a little better outside the classroom allows her to appreciate the hard work necessary to be a full-time student and a full-time athlete.

She also said that opening lines of communication to the athletics department was long overdue.

"It's wonderful to be able to connect to the coaches and see their faces, and I can pick up a phone and call them if there's a problem when one of their athletes," Low said.

She said that in the past, communication with coaches wasn't always there.

"Sometimes I've had an athlete with an injury and I didn't get the message and I never knew so I would have to give that student an incomplete grade," Low said. "But with better communication that can be avoided."

Nikki Lynch, a freshman softball player from Wilmington, said that the picnic gave her a way to get to know her professors.

"Personally, I'm not big on talking to my teachers much, but this gives me a chance to talk with them more in a casual setting," Lynch said. "So it's nice to get to tell them a little about yourself, and I think it helps that they get to know us a little better."

Lynch is one of nine newcomers to the softball team, which will miss a lot of class time traveling.

"This will get us comfortable, and we can talk with them a little better if problems do come up," she said.

Halcyon Blake, the cross-country and track-and-field coach, has more than 60 athletes in her program, She says that getting to meet many of the professors was a great idea.

"I've had good communication with the professors in the past, but bringing them over here to athletics kind of shows them we are human beings and that the athletes are really committed to Winston-Salem State," Blake said. "I think it just shows that our athletes work their hearts out and are committed to their sport along with their schoolwork."

Hayes said that Chancellor Donald Reaves wants to increase the retention rate for the entire student body. Hayes is also adamant about keeping the retention rate for athletes very high.

"We're going to put a lot of emphasis on academics," Hayes said. "When I took this job, we only had one academic person helping with athletics, but I guarantee you we're going to have five or six because retention is a big thing with this university. We have to save these kids and not let them come to school and then see them fail out."

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