Dear President Wright,

By far my favorite swimming memory is at the Dartmouth pool in February of 1997. I had qualified for the 200 yard freestyle as a ten year old in New England Age Group Championships. I was seeded last in the event, but nonetheless, I got up on the block in lane six, thought of all the hard work that went into making that age group cut, and gave the race all I had. I ended up taking six seconds off my best time, and I remember thinking that I had never felt so good in my entire life.

When my sister, Alexandra, got into Dartmouth three years later on December 11th 2000 (my birthday), I had long before decided that I wanted to swim at Dartmouth, like my sister would do that following year. And I was thrilled that my older sister, who I have strived to be so much like, would be pursuing the same dream that I am still reaching for. During the past two years that my sister has attended Dartmouth, I have never let my dedication toward my academics or swimming waver in my attempt to reach my goal.  My tireless effort was matched by my sister's hard work in all of her classes and on the Dartmouth swim team.  However, on November 25th, my dream and my sister's swimming career was dealt a terrible blow. The elimination of the Dartmouth swimming and diving teams is devastating to both of our lives.

My sister has been swimming competitively since she was eight years old. And I cannot help but wonder how many of these moments, like the one I experienced at the Age Group Championships when I was ten years old, she and her teammates will be deprived of if Dartmouth follows through with its plan to eliminate the swimming and diving teams. These moments, however, are not the only thing that will be lost if the teams are eliminated. The hard work poured into morning practices before school and on weekends, the two practices a day during school vacations, the racing from club team practice to high school practice after school each day will be wasted.  Like it was worth nothing at all.

President Wright, every person on the Dartmouth swimming and diving teams has a story like my sister's, and other serious swimmers have dreams like mine. If we add all these stories and dreams together they matter a great deal.  On behalf of all of these things, I am asking you to reinstate the swimming and diving teams.  We have a right to have our dreams come true.

Sincerely,
Krista Bochicchio
Dover-Sherborn High School '06
Member of Shawmut Aquatic Club and DSM S/D Team