By Victor Ocasio
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With a student population of well over 50,000 students, four campuses state-wide and a multitude of educational programs, Valencia Community College is finally ready to make the move from a community school to a certified college, offering four year degrees in certain disciplines.

While this move, set to occur soon after this semester’s end, will certainly bring about changes to the way in which academic programs on campus will work, perhaps now is the time to look at offering something that has become standard procedure at most colleges in the country: sports.

As far as higher collegiate education is concerned, the name of the game is legitimacy. Aside from having the necessary tools to educate students, having a sports program is one of those big indicators that students are attending an opportunity bound school.

Because Valencia operates in the way a community college generally does, its student base is relatively inactive when it comes to extracurricular activities and as a result appears to have absolutely no school pride or spirit.

But simply walk onto any other college campus wearing the colors of another team and the student body there is sure to show you how much spirit they have, and its not always to an unknowing visitor’s benefit for that matter.

It may come as a surprise to many that at one point during Valencia’s 44-year long history, there was a point in which college level athletic programs for both males and females were offered and did rather well for themselves against other teams.

Bringing back sports could completely revitalize the way in which both students and the community at large view our school. A sense of pride, even with a mediocre sports team, would be unavoidable.

With so many changes already occurring on campuses, now seems as good a time as any to make official Valencia’s move to a four year college. And nothing does this better than the American college staple of a full blown sports team.