By Cabrone D. Brewer

In a dramatic display of the importance of what is simply referred to as “The Game,” Yale Senior quarterback Patrick Witt has decided to withdraw his Rhodes Scholarship application in order to participate in the upcoming Harvard vs. Yale matchup this Saturday.

Despite being a finalist for the prestigious international post-graduate award for study at the University of Oxford, Witt informed the Rhodes committee that he would not be able to attend the scholarship interview on November 19 because of a conflict with the 128th installment of one of the greatest rivalries in college football history.

“I will be playing in the Yale-Harvard game this Saturday. I have withdrawn my application for the Rhodes Scholarship. My focus this week is solely on preparing for the Game alongside my teammates and coaches,’’ Witt said in a public statement released by Yale.

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This past Sunday, an announcement was made that will forever change the lives of 32 American students. These 32 students will be heading to the University of Oxford in England in October of 2011 as the latest group of Rhodes Scholars.

This year there are 17 women and 15 men that gained the prestigious designation of Rhodes Scholars. There were a total of 837 applicants this year from 309 schools. The 32 scholars from the United States heading to Oxford next October will join several others from 14 jurisdictions around the world.

For many, this is the most famous academic award available to American college students. This year’s scholars include more women than men for only the third time since women were allowed to apply in 1976. Also, for the first time in history, two scholars come from the state of South Dakota. Ursinus College and the University of California, Irvine are the two new colleges that were added to the list of those represented by winners this year.

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Adam Wheeler: Image Via CNN.com

Seemingly motivated and on-track for a bright future, 23-year-old Harvard student Adam Wheeler appeared to be the ideal candidate for all of the scholarships, grants and internships he had applied to and received.

But when Wheeler applied for the Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships in September of 2009, the professor reviewing the materials noticed his work appeared to be plagiarized. The professor alerted officials and they began an investigation, which found that Wheeler had not only falsified transcripts and other documents, but also had submitted perfect but fake SAT scores that contributed to his initial acceptance to Harvard.

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