Yes

For a Division I college athlete, being in the wrong place at the wrong time can have huge consequences, not only for the athlete, but for the athletic program and the entire school.

Football defensive end Frank Alexander and basketball guard Ray Willis both suffered knife wounds in an altercation that occurred at about 2:30 a.m. last Sunday at the Sooner Knights club in Norman.

The story made the front page headline list on ESPN.com earlier this week, giving the University of Oklahoma some national publicity, but for all the wrong reasons.

Like it or not, athletes are the most visible representatives of this university, and when they are anywhere near trouble, a lot of people are going to hear about it.

In order to minimize incidents like the one that happened Sunday, I believe athletes should be subject to a 2 a.m. curfew.

In a perfect world, student-athletes would not need to be treated differently than any other student. However, the reality is when an athlete gets in a fight, it affects others far more than if I were to get into the same fight.

And while it is not always the athletes’ fault when altercations happen, it makes little difference in the news reports that simply tell the public an OU athlete got into a fight.

Athletes are like celebrities in their college towns. Fame brings a number of things, not all of them positive. Fame and popularity also bring jealousy and scrutiny.

Jealousy mixed with a few drinks and a quick temper at 3 a.m. in a crowded club can result in disaster for an athlete’s career and a program’s image.

I understand that no one wants to be put under a curfew. But I feel 2 a.m. leaves enough time to enjoy the night but is also early enough to avoid some the trouble that often happens in the early hours of the morning.

It is a small price to pay for the well being of the athletes, and for the image of the university as a whole.

— Aaron Colen is a journalism junior.

No

When news broke that defensive end Frank Alexander and basketball guard Ray Willis were stabbed outside a party Sunday night, the whispers calling for a mandatory curfew for student-athletes were already starting.

“You see, nothing good happens to players after midnight.”

“Stoops and Capel need to get control of their boys.”

But before everybody starts assuming that these athletes emulate the lifestyle of Adam “Pacman” Jones (and yes, he is still Pacman), people need to realize most athletes do the right things the right way. Holding these guys on a leash is not the answer.

You can’t put in any kind of curfew just because of a single incident. Believe it or not, athletes are not getting stabbed or shot every weekend. It’s those few times when it does happen that it catches everyone’s attention. The news never covers when athletes go out and come home safely. One freak moment should not affect every athlete on campus.

Last I checked, OU is still a university. Part of the university experience is the freedom to be on your own and to live by your own schedule. So if the freshmen in university housing do not have a curfew, how can anyone justify a curfew for these student-athletes? The athletes here are grown men and women and do not need a babysitter.

Then comes the whole issue of who would actually control the curfew. If Stoops sets up a midnight weekday curfew, are the assistant coaches going to take a post in front of each door? Will OUPD have to hire more police officers to roam the athletic dorms? The answer is obviously “no” and I don’t think the honor system applies here either.

The advocates of a curfew system will point out that no one gets stabbed outside the library and that this curfew would protect OU’s biggest financial assets.

But people, let’s face facts. This is Norman, Oklahoma. The same dangers that lurk outside a night club in L.A. or a strip club in Las Vegas do not apply here. If some guys want to go out, odds are they won’t get mugged, whether at a party or in front of Bizzell.

To all the whisperers, this was an unusual incident. This is not the norm. Violent parties are not the issue at OU and players do not need a curfew.

— Zein Jivani is a broadcast and electronic media sophomore