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TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY
 I
read with interest the article on the University’s athletic
program. I found chemistry professor Barbara Sawrey’s comment
saying, “we’re not interested in being known for
our sports,” to be typical of the thought process that’s
kept UCSD from reaching its full potential as an institution.
Having attended UCSD, I feel safe in saying that nobody (probably
not even the athletic department) wants athletics or anything
else to be prioritized at the expense of academics. But, quite
frankly, the over-the-top view of academics as the only thing
that
matters, which is still pervasive on campus, is detrimental to
the overall development of the students as people and the idea
of college years as being a time for personal growth.
Athletics and a variety of other student activities, if allowed
to flourish, could really assist in making UCSD a better place
socially and in terms of school spirit. That doesn’t mean
lowering of admission standards or turning UCSD into a football
factory, just giving the program some latitude and support to
grow within
parameters set down by the University.
As it is now, everyone on the campus kowtows to the faculty,
even on issues that really don’t concern them. I hope this
article starts some meaningful dialogue about improving the areas
where UCSD is clearly lacking in comparison to other universities.
- Colin Portman
El Cajon, CA
I
was dismayed to read the article by Kelli Anderson in January’s
edition of @UCSD.
How could there possibly be an article on moving UCSD
sports to Division I without mentioning my father, Howard
F. Hunt, Ph.D? How was this humanly possible?
Howard Hunt came to the UCSD Department of Physical Education
in 1965, appointed director of athletics by Ted Forbes.
He later became chair, and is to this
day the longest holder of a chair position in UCSD’s history.
Howard
Hunt’s contribution to UCSD was profound. He set out to shape a
department that would serve each individual student in the spirit of a rich
liberal arts education. To that end, he set the standard for valuing intramural
sports
and related athletic clubs and activities over “the general public’s
need for entertainment” (Ms. Anderson’s article).
To omit him from this article suggests not only lazy
and incomplete research, but a superficiality that I feel
continues to threaten the character of
UCSD.
It is articles like these that stop me from being a donor,
and from finding ways to use my position and success to
support the efforts of the UCSD Alumni Association.
- Robyn Hunt, ’74, M.F.A. ’78
Professor, School of Drama
University of Washington |
I
enjoyed the inaugural issue of @UCSD very much. My years as an
undergraduate at UCSD left me with a great education and many
fond memories.
I read the article by Kelli Anderson, “To Play or Not to
Play”, with particular interest. I am a faculty member at
the University of Iowa, one of the Big-10 schools and a NCAA Division
I university. I understand the desire of some students and members
of the athletics program at UCSD for a move to NCAA Division I
sports. When I left UCSD for graduate studies at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, I found myself enjoying the excitement of “big-time” collegiate
sports.
However, my overall experience in Madison and, for the
last 13 years, at the University of Iowa convinces me that a very
substantial price is paid for high-profile collegiate athletics.
The price consists of dollars (although the complexities of university
bookkeeping can confound this argument), academic integrity and,
most importantly in my view, the time and energy of the university
leadership. I am proud that UCSD has not pursued big-time athletics
and I share my pride with other people.
- Andy Robertson, ’81
Professor, Department of Biochemistry
University of Iowa
I
went to the University of Michigan for Graduate School so
I know what it’s like to be at a very athletic oriented
campus. I urge the decision makers to NOT go in that direction.
The decisions that get made about funding and priorities
once an institution commits to that level result in athletics
being “top dog” and the intramural and academic
programs taking a back seat. It’s human nature—it
costs money but it brings in more and everyone gets addicted
to that revenue stream. And if the school is unlucky enough
to get “bad apples” on the athletic team or department,
there is so much energy drawn away from the real reason for
the University—to learn, explore and grow.
- Karen Rosenberg, ’79
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I
read the article on UCSD Athletics (“To Play or Not to
Play”) in the January 2004 issue of the alumni magazine and
I must say I've never heard an undergraduate student say “I
wish this was a Division I school.” In fact, I've heard many
students complain that such a high percentage of the Student Fees
go to fund Division II athletics, when such a small percentage
of the student population are involved.
The lack of community at UCSD stems from the fact that such a
small percentage of students can live on campus. Even though there
was
an effort made last year to allow more sophomores to live on
campus when Housing converted many doubles into triples, being
crammed
into dorm rooms like sardines is not going to entice more students
to live here.
A small percentage of vocal students (mainly athletes), with
a lot support from the administration, have tried to get student
fees increased to support athletics but recently, those attempts
have been voted down by students.
Your article did not at all portray the current atmosphere
accurately; it read more like propaganda to help the administration
(and
perhaps alumni association) achieve some hidden goal, rather
than a truthful
report on student views.
- Laura Kemmer, graduate student,
Cognitive Science
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REMEMBERING
PATRICK LEDDEN
Let
me first commend all of you on a fine job with this inaugural
issue of the new UCSD alumni magazine. I thoroughly enjoyed
all of the articles,
and I want to thank you for your efforts.
After coming across the obituaries section of the magazine,
I was shocked as I read that Professor Patrick Ledden had
died last October. Professor Ledden
left a lasting impression on me the moment I met him.
In 1994, I went to a pre-freshman orientation
to meet other soon-to-be Tritons from all around the country.
I was quite
nervous and Professor Ledden, provost
of John Muir College made it a point to come and talk to every single incoming
freshman at Muir.
I remember him pulling up a chair next to me and we talked
for several minutes. He asked me where I was from, and why
I had decided on attending UCSD over
my other options. He also asked me why I wanted to major in Bioengineering.
Before he moved on to the next student, I remember him telling me that if
I ever needed anything during my time at UCSD, not to hesitate
to come and talk
to him.
His door was always open.
Kevin Lowitz, ’98 |
MARCUSE AND THE SIXTIES
I
enjoyed your article on athletics at UCSD as I was the first captain
of the UCSD baseball team 1968-70. We had very limited practice
facilities and had
to play all of our ‘home’ games at various fields around San
Diego. I don’t know that the academic pressures at UCSD could co-exist
with the time demands of scholarship-financed Division I athletic programs.
While I enjoyed my days playing baseball, it is the education that I use
everyday.
I also enjoyed your short article on Herbert Marcuse. I took
a minor in political philosophy to learn more about Marxist economics.
Marcuse was amazing in his
course as he boiled capitalism and communism down to a choice between Marx
and Mill and an individual’s
belief system about who owns the product when he or she mixes their labor
with ‘nature.’ I
also have to note that the 35 years since I took that course have proven Mill
to be the correct view of economic reality. Communism has collapsed around
the world because of what western economists call the ‘free rider’ problem.
I think UCSD’s problems with poor alumni support will start to ease with
the continuing publication of @UCSD. What I find amazing is the fact that the
name of the magazine would have made no sense to my graduating class in 1970.
Keep up the good work.
- Jeff McCombs, ’70
I
liked the “Looking Back” column on the early days of Third College. I was there and remember
the period very well. The administration was really worried
that crazies were coming to riot on campus and the good residents
of La Jolla were a bit apprehensive. In the end things turned
out fine and UCSD provided a great
environment for learning.
- Richard Lowe, ’72
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At
UCSD during the ’60s we experienced exceedingly intense interactions
with fellow students, our faculty and the community. I remember riding my bike
to
the Salk Institute and witnessing a phalanx of riot-geared police about to
march onto campus; the self-
immolation of a fellow student in protest of the war; the People-to-People
program started by Professor John Holland, in which students and faculty accepted
invitations into the community to try, one-on-one, to bridge the gap between
the predominantly anti-war sentiment on campus and distrustful conservative
members of the San Diego community. It
is a personal tragedy to me that the intense UCSD relationships
of the ’60s
have been essentially followed by a vacuum from the campus. What’s
become of my fellow students and our brilliant, humane faculty leaders of
those times?
It would be a joy to reunite to honor the past and contemplate the paths
we’ve
taken to present understanding.
Are there any plans for class reunions? Count me in, if so!
- Marie Eisen Davis, ’71
Response: Thanks very much for the note and impassioned plea to
reconnect with classmates. There are a number of avenues to do
so—the alumni website
at www.alumni. ucsd.edu has a vibrant online community and directory search
capability to find your friends. We are currently reviewing our reunion program,
but in the meantime, alumni events on campus and nationwide through our regional
and affinity chapters are a great source for reconnecting. A calendar of
such events can be found in the Alumni Tidings section of this
issue (page 38),
and is e-mailed regularly to alumni through Campus Loop
e-newsletter. Sign up online if you don’t receive it.
- John Valva,
Executive director of the Alumni Association
I
really enjoyed the new alum magazine. I would love to see a piece
about the art/film department of yesteryear. I remember one
day when a group of us drove up to San Clemente to join Jane Fonda
at the western white house protesting Nixon’s meeting with
President Thieu of South Vietnam. We drove back to UCSD that night
to attend a screening of Letter to Jane by Jean-Luc Godard who
was there in person to talk about his film. That was quite a surreal
moment.
- Nancy Stevens Elsaesser, ’74
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