The College's mission statement is as follows: "Dartmouth College educates the most promising students and prepares them for a lifetime of learning and of responsible leadership, through a faculty dedicated to teaching and the creation of knowledge." Participation in athletics fosters strong work ethic, camaraderie and other valuable life skills. Strong leadership on the playing field often translates into strong leadership in other aspects of life. For this reason, athletic success is consistent with the overall mission of the College.
--Blair Sullivan '10
Winning sports teams are in no way essential to Dartmouth's greater mission of educational excellence. However, as long as athletics never eclipse or in any way threaten more important opportunities, a few more competitive teams might keep us from hanging our heads in shame when conversation with other college students turns to sports.
--Brian Solomon '11
Some colleges let their sports teams define their institution, and they therefore win a great deal of money and prestige. At Dartmouth, though, our highest priority has always been the undergraduate experience -- and our alumni donate to keep it that way. It's always disappointing to see our sports teams lose, but we have to make sure that we're academically competitive first and foremost.
--Chris Talamo '11
Successful sports teams can help build morale and stir up school spirit among students and alumni. However, becoming an athletic powerhouse should not be a core objective for the College.
--Tina Praprotnik '09
Athletic success is not paramount to Dartmouth's mission. I'd prefer wins to losses, but with budget cuts looming, now isn't the time to focus on Ivy League championships.
--Spenser Mestel '11
Athletics are a powerful part of our College's tradition of excellence. Nonetheless, the tired old ways of doing college athletics must change. We will not, and cannot, be the Duke of basketball or the USC of football, and should not compromise our educational excellence to try. Athletics should be contextualized as a powerful part of the college education -- just like theater, music, student leadership, scholastics and service. As soon as winning becomes an end in and of itself, athletics loses its soul and the College loses its way.
--Isaiah Berg '11
I think athletic success is very important to the College. As last week's Verbum noted, winning sports teams can do much to benefit Dartmouth, raising its profile and bringing in money and students. Dartmouth as a whole can only gain from successful teams and the attendant attention.
--Peter Blair '12
Students come to a school like Dartmouth not only to get an education, but also to have a true undergraduate experience. Athletics, just like any other extracurricular activity, are a key part of some students' experiences here. Even if they don't directly affect some students, they still foster a sense of community that we all enjoy.
--Tom Mandel '11
The most compelling argument for the importance of winning sports teams is that they foster school spirit. But thanks to a unique culture built on rich traditions, Dartmouth spirit springs from many other sources beyond athletics. Dartmouth graduates are renowned for devotion to their alma mater, despite the underwhelming performance of our teams. At Dartmouth at least, winning teams aren't essential.
--Emily Johnson '12
While I agree that good teams foster school spirit and encourage alumni donations, I think it's a bit naive to believe that athletic success would help Dartmouth improve its standing among the Ivies and attract more students. Furthermore, our mission statement clearly states that this is an academic institution dedicated to the creation of knowledge -- not to our athletic success.
--Nina Maja Bergmar '11
Possible justifications for a costly and successful Varsity program include that it would enhance Dartmouth's national reputation, build pride among the students, offer entertainment and bring in donations from alumni. Alumni donations made to support Varsity Sports should absolutely be used for that purpose, but other college funds should be allocated by assessing marginal value to students. At some point, the marginal dollar spent on athletic teams could be better used improving the fitness center and the locker rooms, expanding P.E. classes and other things in the athletic dept that impact regular students on a daily basis.
--Nathan Bruschi '10
It's well understood that athletic success promotes school spirit. Simply put, more students watch winning teams. The real question is: to what extent are we, the students, willing to promote winning athletic programs when academic departments have to cut their budgets? In my opinion, academics should be the top priority. The purpose of the College is to educate; all else, while important to the collegiate experience, is secondary.
--Ben Gonin '12
