Like this is news? While an undergrad in another state, in the late 80s, I witnessed the same sort of treatment of college athletes. They'd walk into a class, the professor would sign a form for them, and that's the last I'd see of them, even though they were "taking" the class. You want academic integrity? Get rid of high-profile, team-based college sports.
Re: “Movies, music and miscellany”
RE: The Hobbit: The first of three parts - WTF? Warner Bros must really be wanting to cash in. Hmm, lets see - each volume of the Lord of the Rings had a single film. The Hobbit - a smaller book and a simpler story than any of the others, needs three installments to tell? Greed abounds.