While it is one thing to invite students from all corners of the earth and from each tax bracket, we are now learning that it is another to ensure that these students are welcome. Efforts toward inclusion are being made, at least in theory. The Multicultural Center just opened its doors, presumably to be a place where different groups of people will feel accepted. The Dean of Students office is sponsoring community discussions among groups that are perceived to be different on campus. These seem like logical steps toward creating respect for the members of every subset of the Amherst community. As we learn to adjust to the new groups on campus (or those whose membership is now increasing) we must not forget about the collections of students already here who may feel stigmatized or unwanted.
There is, in particular, one such group that can hardly be classified as a minority. Student-athletes are seemingly ubiquitous at Amherst. At a school with fewer than 1,700 pupils, there are enough student-athletes to field 27 varsity and 10 active club teams. Thus, student-athletes account for a significant chunk of the student body; according to the Amherst athletics Web site, nearly one third of students participate in varsity sports and 80 percent in club and intramural sports.
The ubiquity of student-athletes is not just a function of the number of student-athletes on campus. The students that represent Amherst in athletics are also very involved in other facets of our community, but this involvement tends to go unnoticed. In addition to spending several hours a day at practices or games, meets and matches, student-athletes are also leading clubs, writing or editing for campus publications, participating in community service projects, serving on the student government, and the list goes on.
Of course, academics come first at Amherst. So while they are involved in many extracurricular activities, student-athletes—like all Amherst students—are committed to their studies. This is apparent at the end of every sports season when Amherst typically has more students than any other NESCAC school on the NESCAC All-Academic team.
Yet students that are included in this extensive and talented group are often made to feel like they do not belong at Amherst. There is no reason for this. Amherst is one of the most selective schools in the country. Recently, the admissions office carefully selected a mere 14.2 percent of applicants for the class of 2012. Such a small percentage indicates that there is a reason why each Amherst student is admitted.
When the deans in the admissions office admit a student-athlete, they are not simply looking at save percentages, mile times or point totals. Other statistics they consider are SAT scores and GPAs. Every Amherst student has something to offer the academic community.
In addition, every Amherst student contributes—typically in many ways—to the incredible number of extra-curricular activities on campus. Student-athletes are no exception, and should not be made to feel like they do not belong at Amherst. Instead, they should be celebrated for their contributions to the community and to the classroom, as well as for representing Amherst admirably in intercollegiate athletics.
As Amherst commits to constructing a diverse student body, the best way to make everyone feel welcome is to show appreciation for what each student has to offer. This is important as we invite new types of students to campus, and it is essential that we treat our current colleagues with the same high degree of respect.