This weeks's announcement that Robert Ceplikas '78 will take over for Josie Harper as acting director of athletics and recreation at the College ("Interim director of athletics named," Feb. 26) marks the beginning of the end of an era. Harper, with Ceplikas by her side as deputy AD, accomplished much in her tenure at Dartmouth, most notably a substantial upgrade of the College's athletic facilities. Her work has not gone unnoticed, and the College's next permanent AD will certainly have a strong tradition to uphold.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that though word "interim" often bears connotations of impotence, Ceplikas will be occupying the position of AD for at least a year before that new appointee assumes the post ("No new AD for at least a year, Dean Crady says," Feb. 4).
Ceplikas has proven his dedication to Dartmouth in his 15 years as deputy director and in his 30 years at the College. The active role he took in overseeing the recent facility upgrades has tested his abilities as an administrator.
While much of campus has benefited from Ceplikas' work, however, it is critical that, in his new role, he not lose sight of the athletic department's primary function: to invest in the success of our varsity athletic teams.
It has been 50 years since Dartmouth won an Ivy League championship in basketball, and 13 since we earned a football title. While several of the College's teams have achieved high levels of success in the past decade -- notably skiing, as well as women's basketball and lacrosse -- the Big Green has, for the most part, fallen from its glory days at the top of Ivy League athletics. And, contrary to what former Dean of Admissions Karl Furstenberg thinks, the active promotion of winning sports teams is not antithetical to the College's mission. Good teams not only foster school spirit and pride, but also attract a larger body of incoming students and encourage alumni donations. When teams are effective in raising the overall profile of an institution, that institution's investment in its teams is returned.
Given Ceplikas's successful coaching history, we certainly have reason to believe he will not overlook the importance of reestablishing a winning tradition at Dartmouth. In his six years as assistant coach of the then-fledgling women's hockey team, Ceplikas helped grow a relatively new and inexperienced program into a competitive one; we hope he will similarly be able to begin the process of turning around Dartmouth's currently flailing teams during his stint as interim AD.
A lot can happen in a year, and even if Ceplikas is replaced at the end of the interim, the effects of the decisions he makes will be felt well into the next director's term. Harper's legacy is one of institutional enhancement, but we think that Ceplikas has a valuable opportunity to take Dartmouth athletics down a new path. We certainly hope that he will.
