Meimei

The Adamson Lady Falcons’ recent loss to the UST Golden Tigresses was a painful yet honorable moment in sports. Reaching that stage is already a testament to months of training and dedication to the sport they love. However, after the loss, people seem to forget empathy and compassion for those student-athletes.

The game brought heartbreak to Adamsonians, yet it also escalated the online harassment the Women's Volleyball Team (WVT) has been facing. Being a student-athlete requires dedication and time management, balancing school and training. It can also be draining. So imagine being a student-athlete, with so little time for yourself, being harassed online for not being "good enough" at the game. An AI-generated photo of you is spreading online, and your whole community is making fun of you.

That's the life a certain WVT player has faced after the Lady Falcons’ loss. Criticism without proper respect is harassment. I understand the reasoning behind it and the emotions involved. However, this harassment can cost her life and her future growth as a student and an athlete. There have been many cases in which student-athletes felt pressured and harassed by the public, and as a result, they were no longer able to play.

We all want the Lady Falcons to be champions, but we forget that being a champion is a long process that takes time and involves constant mistakes in each game. They already won by simply playing and not backing down. Win or lose, we should have compassion for the players, the team, and the coach.

We are a community of Vincentian students and of human beings.