Manchester Athletic Center: Home of the Wake Forest Volleyball Team
By Benny Bagnell
When news broke a few weeks ago that a current Wake Forest University student got into the school through illicit means, many community members expressed surprise and outrage. As more details have come out, students have shown increased empathy for the student involved.
Wake Forest’s very own William Ferguson, a once highly-regarded women’s volleyball coach, was accused of accepting a bribe of $100,000 and funnelling that money into the Wake Forest Deacon Club, the Wake Forest Women’s Volleyball team, and the rest to a private volleyball camp he controlled. The money was taken from a charity account and sent to Ferguson by William Rick Singer, the mastermind behind the entire Operation Varsity Blues.
Operation Varsity Blues included many prestigious universities such as Yale, Georgetown, and USC. The scandal came to the forefront of national news on account of the involvement of notable celebrities such as Lori Loughlin, an actor from the nostalgia-inducing Full House.
Students have had a mixed bag of reactions when asked about the university’s involvement in the nationwide college admissions scandal. Some were nonchalant, while others expressed utter befuddlement.
“I was very surprised at first because of the standards that Wake Forest upholds,” said M.C. Meredith, a junior and member of the Women’s Tennis team. “The school talks a lot about the integrity of the admissions process, so this took me by surprise.”
“I feel like this is a pretty isolated scandal,” said sophomore McCarthey Lupo. “This seems like more of a volleyball or athletic department-specific problem, and not a campus-wide issue.”
So what should become of the student who gained admission into Wake Forest on account of her parent’s wealth? Most students agree that the parents and Ferguson are more culpable.
“Even if she did know, she shouldn’t be punished for one mistake,” said Meredith.
“Does she work hard?” asked Haley Porter, freshman. “If she does, then yes, she should definitely be allowed to stay.”
While the fate of the student has yet to be resolved, most students agree that the school’s admissions practices require increased scrutiny, particularly within the athletic department.
“The process [to get into the school] should be more difficult for athletes,” said Meredith. “Something needs to change.”