The future of some athletic programs at Eastern may be in danger due to the budget issues that have plagued the university all year long.

As the semester continues to roll along, school officials have reassured everyone that our education will not be affected by the budget problems.

While it is clear that education will always be the number one priority in situations like these, it is also important to realize what else can be affected.

A university goes much farther than just its education, and there are specific reasons why students choose to attend Eastern.

And there is no doubt that hundreds of students go here because they are able to play a sport they love.

There is a real threat that some athletic teams could be cut or reduced, and people need to realize that it can have a much bigger effect on the university if that happens.

Athletic programs such as the soccer teams, swim teams or tennis teams may all be first to go if the budget crisis continues.

That is just naming a few.

If the struggles continue across the university, who knows what will be left of Panther athletics?

Some people may not care if those programs close, but in reality Eastern would be nowhere near as successful as it is now without its athletics.

I understand that it may save money to shut down some programs.

I understand that there are more important things than sports.

I really do see why it may be easy to cut programs out, but it is also important to realize what sports do for a university.

Nothing can top that feeling of fans getting excited to see their school succeed in winning a big game.

There is nothing like looking in the stands at a sporting event and seeing all the students, fans and alumni cheering for the Panthers.

That Panther pride which is represented all around campus every day is spirited by the sports teams.

It is also important to understand that some of the greatest alumni to come from Eastern have been a part of one of our athletic programs.

Former members of the football team such as Tony Romo, Mike Shanahan and Jimmy Garoppolo all represent Eastern athletics.

If you ask anyone whom they think of when talking about Eastern, most will mention one of those names.

Shutting down athletic programs will also majorly decrease our student population.

Enrollment is already decreasing at Eastern; eliminating some athletic programs would only make that worse.

Attending a university without athletics can be boring to many people.

If programs are shut down, athletes will be forced to make a decision.

It would cause athletes to consider transferring schools or just giving up on their sport that they have dedicated so much time to.

Fans across campus, coaches, trainers and even sports journalists may consider transferring to a school that has something as important as athletics.

When it comes to shutting down any athletic program, I believe the university should exhaust all other options first.

While it seems like a time of crisis for everyone involved with Eastern, it is important that it does not affect athletics.

Eastern is a great university for many reasons, and its athletics will always be an important part of that.

In my opinion, if the university is forced to shut down any athletic programs, then it will only go downhill from there.

Maher Kawash can be reached at 581-2812 or mwkawash@eiu.edu