When I first received the letter that told me of the impending

elimination of the Dartmouth swim team, I became overwhelmed by a

dramatic sense of gloom. Less than a month earlier we had received the

preseason friends of Dartmouth swimming newsletter, which kept us up to

date on the activities of the current swim team. My wife (Dartmouth

swimmer Tammy Morse Savage '91) and I had talked about the possibility

of bringing our daughter Chelsea, Class of '19, to one of the local

meets, so she could see how her parents had met. Although we thought

that it would be a fun experience, it now seemed imperative.

 

I couldn't quite put a finger on what was the exact source of my gloom.

At first, I thought it was the same feeling one must get when their

parents move out of the house in which they were raised. Perhaps I was

just upset that another link to my youth was being removed.

 

Ultimately, however, I realized that it was much more than that. As I

began to reflect more, I recognized the benefits that I received as a

result of being a 4-year varsity swimmer at Dartmouth, and how my

experience has enhanced the person that I am today.

 

College, in general, and Dartmouth, in particular, routinely has a

profound impact on students, but often in very different ways. In a

4-year period, children are transformed into adults, and along the way,

they begin to decide what contribution they will make to this world of

ours. Students are encouraged to sample diverse curricula, pursue

independent study, interact with the world off-campus, and grow as

individuals. Dartmouth has historically embraced these concepts more

than most undergraduate institutions.

 

As an educator in the medical field, I am a firm believer in

illustrating points with examples rather than rhetoric. Please indulge

my brief personal story and why I think that it is important in relation

to the decision on the fate of the Dartmouth Swim Team.

 

When I arrived in Hanover in the fall of 1985, I stopped in the office

of Ron Keenhold, and informed him of my intentions to try-out for the

swimming team. He was very welcoming, and we had a nice conversation.

Only later, when I actually began to meet and swim with some of the

other team members, did I realize that someone with my relative

inexperience (essentially 2 years of public high school swimming) would

have been laughed out of other coaches' offices. There were a great

number of impressive recruits that year, and I had virtually no

prospects of contributing.

 

As freshman year evolved, Ron and my team members were more patient than

I would have been with someone who frequently could not complete the

workouts. Slowly, I developed the work ethic that is representative of

varsity swimmers across the country. This process was definitely a

gradual process, because I often questioned my wisdom when I had to get

in bed by midnight with the prospect of 630 AM practice, while my

roommates chatted about the days events. Ultimately, I saw the fruits

of my labor as I was able to compete with elite swimmers in the Ivy

League. I enjoyed seeing the product of my dedication and hard work. I

must emphasize that I rarely won an individual race, but the spirit of

competition and the joy of self-improvement was more than sufficient.

 

After two years on the swim team, I was elected captain as a junior, and

subsequently as a senior. Although hesitant at first, I embraced the

position of leadership because it afforded me the opportunity to have

more of a positive influence on others. We were not a winning team, but

we were tremendously successful. We spent more time training than most

students spend studying and our grades were better than the college

mean.

 

Ultimately, I decided to go to a very competitive medical school, which

decided to accept me chiefly on the basis of my swimming experience (my

grades were below the college mean and the college advisor suggested

that I change my list of schools, or not apply to medical school at

all). They thought that my dedication and perseverance were good traits

for a prospective physician. These building blocks of my life have

continued to serve me well in my field as an academic physician.

 

I am personally thankful for the opportunity to have been a member of

the Dartmouth Swim Team, and am sad to think that others will not have

this opportunity. Clearly, top-notch recruits will now attend other

schools, though I think this is not the greatest loss. The tragedy is

that many Dartmouth students, first with swimming, and later with other

sports, will lose the opportunity to grow personally by carrying the

torch as the true student-athlete.

 

There is no doubt that the College must be fiscally responsible.

However, I implore everyone who has the power to do so, to consider

alternative measures prior to making an irrevocable decision. I would

be happy to help out in any way that I can.

Sincerely,

 

 

Stephen J. Savage, MD

Class of 1989