Who's Trying To Fool Whom Here?

In a blockbuster bit of journalistic derring-do, the Chicago Tribune is investigating a shocking crime until recently overlooked at the University of Illinois campus. No, it's not about The Chief...get over it...he's history. It's about academic integrity, to wit: students with SUBPAR ACADEMIC RECORDS are being admitted to the university! Ya think?
Actually, this has to do with what's known as "Category 1" applications at said university. These applications are forwarded by legislators or university trustees to gain entrance for family friends' kids or politically favored clients' kids. Mind you, these applications are being accepted even though admissions coulsellors rate these students as having "terrible academic records" and refusing entrance. On further appeal, however, more than 800 incoming freshmen with poor ACT scores and academic credentials were admitted to the U of I. For example, a relative of Tony Rezko, influence peddler for former governor Rod Blagojavich, was admitted over the horrified sputterings of admissions counsellors. The admittance rate for those on the "clout list" was 77% while the admission rate for "regular' students topped out at 69%. A serious misstep? Maybe, but it still leaves me puzzled.
Is this the first time anyone has raised objections over prospective students' academic records? I daresay that if one were to take an indepth look at the money machine that is college athletics, one might find, shall we say, another level UNDER Category 1. In addition to admittance to a major university, many athletes live a life totally unavailable to the general populace of campus. Need proof?
Check out the latest discovery about the admittance of Derrick Rose to Memphis two years ago. And, of course, carrying a team to the Final Four makes it all right.
Category 1, indeed!
This is yet another reason why newspapers are importnt.