To The Editor:
I am a concerned student who has been watching the reactions to the Dartmouth budget cuts with interest. Like many, I was shocked by the abruptness of the decision to eliminate the swim team and I sympathize with the athletes who now feel betrayed. However, I worry that many students have been too quick to jump on the anti-administration bandwagon without objectively examining some of the decisions the administration was forced to make. I believe that the ensuing debate about this budget cut has been very one-sided and that there are parties within the student body whose voices are not being heard.
A few weeks ago the administration announced plans to scale back Sanborn Library and there was little reaction from the students. The announcement about the swim team was a wake-up call. Meetings and protests were quickly organized. It is difficult to compare the impact of these two decisions. Varsity swimmers were recruited to Dartmouth with certain expectations, which are now being denied. On the other hand, the library is central to our education and the decision to limit access goes to the core of the mission of Dartmouth. Nevertheless the contrast between the reactions speaks volumes about our priorities.
In this time of fiscal restraint it is critical that the students have a voice in these administrative decisions. I believe that it is time to reassess the impact of athletics teams on student life. In order to compete with other Division I schools, Dartmouth is forced to recruit an inordinate number of athletes. We are also forced to allocate a relatively large percentage of resources to keep our teams competitive. I am concerned that the reaction to the swim team decision will mean that down the road the next round of cuts will spare the athletes at the expense of the books. I would be willing to give up everything else that Dartmouth offers before I give up the tools of my education. I do empathize with those individuals who have been directly affected by Dartmouth's budget cuts; I hope that they can find some solace in the knowledge that their loss was in the interest of the school's overriding purpose.
