This plan needs some work. A college education is devastatingly expensive. Tuition at many of the nation’s private institutions exceeds $40,000 each year. Since most teenagers aren’t fortunate enough to secure a full athletics scholarship, many colleges and universities are simply unaffordable for prospective college students. In Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley suggested four years were simply too expensive, and requirements for a degree should be cut in half. Daley said: “They should cut half the courses. It would cut the cost down tremendously. What are the basic courses that you need in college? Cut some of the unnecessary courses out.” While Daley is right that college is too expensive, I fail to see his logic in reducing the required courses. What course is truly unnecessary? We do have two-year colleges that offer associate degrees, and that is an excellent option for many individuals. If we cut course requirements for bachelor’s degrees in half, our students won’t be nearly as educated when they enter the working world. How is that a positive move for our society? Instead, we should work on ways to get the costs down so that education is more accessible. Wouldn’t that make more sense?

Seven years for Cozad. Former Northern Colorado backup punter Mitch Cozad was sentenced to seven years in jail yesterday for stabbing starting punter Rafael Mendoza last fall. Cozad attacked his teammate in an effort to take over the starting position.

Making their mark. Student-athletes are getting it done in their communities. Last weekend, the Adelphi women’s basketball team participated in the annual American Heart Walk, an event that raises funds in the fight against heart disease and stroke on Long Island … In Knoxville, the Tennessee baseball team exceeded its fund-raising goal for Thursday’s Light The Night Walk, raising more than $5,000 for cancer research in a player-driven effort.