University of Nebraska Kearney - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Kearney, NE)

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The NAIA has ruled that all member colleges must adopt a drug education and testing program for their athletes. Administrators and coaches are trying to determine just what that means at KSC. There are problems ... tion and testing must begin by January 1. 1988. At the present time I feel we will look at random testing, Zikmund said. We will follow the advice of our sports medicine branch. Meier agrees that random selection testing is best. The costs would be un- real if we tested everybody, she added. Zikmund said KSC's athletic depart- ment is looking at a two-part program. One is education of the athletes; we want to prevent drug abuse, he said,' 'and secondly if there are abusers, we want a rehabilitation program where we can get the athlete back in the main- stream of life and back into his sport. Another problem the NAIA's drug policy may have, along with the profes- sional teams and NCAA policies, is the protection some feel they have under the right of privacy act. Not many organi- zations have had this problem but it is still a problem for some, Zikmund said. What some may not realize is that the drug testing also offers protection. As Tom Osborne, University of Nebras- ka football coach said, no one can ac- cuse a person of taking drugs when he's been tested and everything is clear. But does KSC have athletes who have a drug problem? Let me stress that we don't have any problem with drugs at Kearney State, Zikmund said. Most of our kids are here for the education. He pointed out that of the players who have participated under Coach Jerry Hueser's basketball program, 87 percent have graduated. THE ATHLETE’S VIEW Drug testing! These words bring a lot of thoughts to many minds. What do the athletes think about being tested? Here are a few thoughts from some athletes to be tested in 1988. Eric Nesiba, 20, Wrestler - “I think it's a good idea because if you can t play a sport naturally, you shouldn't be playing the sport. That isn’t the way sports started out. Tam Sis. 19, Volleyball - I think it’s a good idea. It's not fair to us not on drugs. We are working hard and giving 100 percent and drug users are trying to take shortcuts. Mark Vincent, 20, Golf - I don’t think it's a good idea. You shouldn’t get tested just because you're an athlete; it's your job. People look up to teachers and they don’t get tested. Tammy Schmidt, 20, Softball - It isn’t going to hurt anything, it is all for the better. It is their (drug users) own choice. I don’t think it helps you anyway. It hurts the team if anything because I don’t think you can reach your potential. Jamie Yakel, 19. Football - 'Tm for it. Because these athletes are supposed to be examples to others, and by being on these drugs, they can't be a good example. If you're not using drugs, why not be tested. Todd Johnson, 20, Basketball - I think it's a good idea. I don’t think harmful drugs have a place in athletics. We should get rid of these drugs. Jamie Bolwitt, 19, Cross Country, Track - I suppose it’s a good idea. It wouldn't bother me any because I don't use them. There are probably not a whole lot of cross country runners who use them. If they are going to do it, I think every- body should be tested. Starting January 1, 1988, testing is scheduled to begin. The type of testing will eventually raise more questions and opinions. With KSC’s drug education, testing and rehabilitation programs under way, the athlete will probably have more questions and opinions on the issues of drug testing in sports. Presently, a majority of the athletes seem to approve of the new policy set by the NAIA. Only a few disapprove of testing the athletes only. 27

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Drug testing continued Public health and safety concerns may conflict with individuals’ fundamental rights to privacy. Problem number one is funding. Problem number two concerns the individuals’ right to privacy. Both problems arise when the topic of drug testing comes about. But what has many on opposite sides is problem number two — the individuals’ right to privacy. According to Hal Blostein, law- yer and KSC political science professor, Hal Blostein this marks the beginning of a very com- plex issue. “We are in an era of legal explora- tion,” Blostein said. “There are so many twilight zone areas that the courts are going to have to deal with. We are going to be wrestling with factors that we haven’t dealt with before.” Blostein said no one is going to be able to give you a yes or a no answer right now, it is going to depend on cer- tain circumstances. What are the circumstances? When the right to privacy act is brought up in protecting the individual’s rights, we are getting into a number of areas which include two constitutional factors, Blostein said. One is the Fourth Amendment which essentially protects the individual from unreasonable search and seizure. Other factors are the due process of law right, which concerns the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments; the fifth pertains to the federal government and the fourteenth to the state governments prohibiting or depriving one’s life and lib- erty, he explained. Blostein said in a complicated Dem- ocratic society, the chief concern is with one fundamental right — the right to pri- vacy — but the government is also re- sponsible for the public’s health and safety. Giving an example in which the gov- ernment would have the right to stand behind drug testing would be jobs con- cerning the public’s health and safety such as an air traffic controller. Many corporations and athletic as- sociations are taking steps for their own health and safety. Included among ath- letic associations are the NCAA and the NAIA, of which KSC is a member. The big question: will one’s right to privacy be violated with such testing? “There are a lot of unanswered questions,” Blostein said. “In a state supported college like Kearney, partici- pating in athletics is a privilege.” If it (drugs) effects his or her con- duct or even performance during a KSC event, they have a right to drop the ath- lete from the program.” But Blostein said to drop a team member from a squad on the basis of ev- idence in a drug test without regard to his or her performance is getting pretty personal. “Why is it (drug testing) arbitrarily connected to the category of jocks,” Blostein said. “Probably because the athlete is one of these categories which kids idolize.” “Most of us want to reduce the use of drugs,” he said. “We are concerned with better education to persuade peo- ple to refrain from drugs ... but we also cherish certain fundamental rights of the individual.” So overall, does drug testing violate a person’s right to privacy? “Putting aside the legal technicali- ties, it is such an intriguing question that has raised so many implications,” Blo- stein said. “I sure would hesitate to make a drug policy without doing a lot of thinking. “We are not going to come up with a simple, universal answer,” he said. “We are going to have a lot of challenges as the drug testing proceeds in our soci- ety.” Past NAIA tests net scant results Four years ago, the NAIA conducted random drug testing at its men’s bas- ketball, outdoor track and wrestling tournaments. None of the 52 basket- ball players tested had any positive results. Four of the 48 wrestlers tested positive for a substance found in an over- the-counter weight reducing pill. Three out of 56 track athletes tested positive for the weight reduction substance and one tested positive for steroids.