Specifically, President George W. Bush opened the doors of the White House in Washington, D.C., to the 12 Dartmouth skiers and other members of the Big Green coaching staff, support staff and administrators who participated in the national championships.
On Monday, June 18, the Big Green skiers and staff attended the annual Champions' Day festivities hosted by President Bush at the White House, for 28 NCAA Division I national championship teams across a variety of sports, including basketball, soccer, fencing and gymnastics.
Staying in the Hotel Sofitel, the Big Green skiers were admitted to the White House by an escort, and were then given the opportunity to wander the halls of the White House before meeting with the president.
President Bush then delivered an eight-minute address to the athletes gathered on the South Lawn in the sweltering heat, congratulating teams individually for their accomplishments.
"I appreciate being with good athletes, good students and good leaders -- and that's what it takes to become a champion," President Bush said.
"It's not something that I've ever done before, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to go," women's nordic skiing coach Cami Thompson said. "There were probably 8 or 10 other teams upstairs on the second floor with us, and we got to wander around together. It was nice to interact with athletes from other schools."
As far as political ambitions go, the focus of the day remained on sports.
"We didn't see demonstrators there or anything like that," Thompson said. "This day was not at all about politics. It was to celebrate the athletes and what they've achieved."
Thompson left the White House impressed with President Bush's demeanor and the attention he lent to each of the championship teams in attendance.
"That's probably where he is best: Talking to people," she said. "He was very good; he went from team to team and talked to each group as an individual group."
During his speech, Bush specifically addressed the Big Green, focusing on Dartmouth's several decade-long national championship drought in all varsity sports.
"Some of the teams here have been waiting a long time to reclaim a championship," Bush said. "Dartmouth men's and women's skiing team -- they won their first title 30 years ago, and now they're here at the White House. Congratulations."
Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson '68, who spoke at the commencement ceremonies to the graduating class of 2007 earlier this month in Hanover, was in attendance and found an opportunity to personally congratulate the skiers.
"He seemed very excited to have Dartmouth people there. He was happy to come up to us and speak to us," Thompson said.
The national championship, along with the ensuing media attention that the skiing program has received, has helped to establish Dartmouth's high standing in the sport of collegiate sking, even as a non-scholarship program.
"A lot of our competition offers scholarships, which we don't do," Thompson said. "It legitimizes us in the eyes of the community."
Further, unlike professional sports where the best teams get the worst draft picks, success tends to gather momentum in college sports. The publicity and the bolstering of the Big Green's reputation since winning the national championship in March will undoubtedly help attract more quality skiers to commit to Dartmouth in the near future.
"I certainly have had a lot of inquiries [from prospective student-athletes] since then, so it will help," Thompson said.
