The difference between athletics and academics is not that big. Like anything else one pursues in life, practice makes perfect.

These concepts are true in both academics and athletics. In order to be a well-rounded student, a person must do his readings and understand the things he is studying. An athlete is expected to do the same when it comes to practicing and honing his skills.

The only difference between the two is one is using his mind while the other uses his physical abilities.

When a student graduates high school and wants to go to college, more often than not he is attending school to receive an education.

Even in the NCAA commercials advertising student-athletes, they quote “. and most of us will go pro in something other than sports.”

Athletic Director Barbara Burke laid out a plan in February detailing a number of changes and upgrades she hopes to make to the athletic facilities in the future.

If everything goes as planned by Burke, none of these renovations will affect student fees.

All funds would come from donors to the athletic department.

While athletics and academics are different in that Burke is able to gain funding for this project from donors, the university should follow the lofty goals set by Burke and continue to improve the campus as she has done with the athletic facilities.

Doudna Fine Arts Center opened its doors last year. The project cost about $4.7 million and was a big step for Eastern in upgrading the campus as well as upgrading the facilities that we use every day.

While we appreciate the steps and sacrifices that were made building Doudna, there are other things that can still be done. New textbooks, upgrading current out-of-date facilities and equipment are a few things that can be done.

With budget cuts, furloughs and hiring freezes, the fact that the university is in a budget crisis is no secret.

We hope, though, the university continues to spend wisely and does not spend money on non-essentials things at this time, such as the e-locks the university is looking to upgrade to, as reported in an article in the March 9 edition of The Daily Eastern News.

We can only hope the economy bounces back and the university starts to get more funding.

If and when this happens, we hope the administration follows a similar path as the athletic department to improve the academics and tools needed to make Eastern a better university overall.

Until then, we understand sacrifices have to be made.

We are coming to the home stretch of the 2009-10 school year. Tests, quizzes, projects and EA Sports’ “NHL 2010.” Add to that baseball, warm weather, sun, porches and drinking.

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