James E. Wright, President

Dartmouth College

Parkhurst Hall

Hanover, NH 03755

 

 

Dear President Wright:

 

                I was once privileged to hear the late Paul Tsongas speak of his days as a Dartmouth swimmer.  With great pride, he recounted his development from a young and scrawny teen to a mature and self-assured man.  Using his experience as a member of the Dartmouth Swimming Team as a metaphor for his career in public service, he explained that the discipline, determination and perseverance he learned as a competitive swimmer helped him to achieve goals far beyond his immediate reach.  It was a moving speech, and particularly appealed to me because I was a diver on the Women’s Swimming and Diving Team during my tenure at Dartmouth.

 

                It is with great sadness that I received the news that the Swimming and Diving Team will be eliminated because of the current budget situation.  It seems an extreme action to counter what is surely a temporary budgetary shortfall.  When the economy recovers, and the budget is restored, what a shame it will be if an entire team has been eliminated.  Swimming is a widely popular sport; with so many young people competing in swimming and diving today, it seems ridiculous to make competitive swimming and diving unavailable at Dartmouth.  Many prospective students will not consider attending a school without a swimming team.  I know that I would not.

 

                The success of Dartmouth’s Swimming and Diving Teams is not necessarily their win/loss records.  The success of any team lies in the character of its members, by their dedication and willingness to improve personal performance in a manner that contributes to the team.  Please do not eliminate the swimming teams. They provide an opportunity for dozens of students to compete and mature, and to gain a more complete college experience. Please find a solution to the budget crunch that is more equitable and less final.

 

                Thank you for your consideration.

 

                                                                                                Sincerely,

 

 

 

                                                                                                Hope Wernick Wigmore ‘82