Playing the Numbers Game
By by STEVE VLADECK, Staff Writer
Williams College has a problem. Just over 20 percent of this year's first-year class at Williams identifies themselves as students of color, while the Amherst Class of 2004, the "most diverse class" in Amherst's history, boasts a 36-percent students-of-color breakdown.

Williams has always used the success of its athletic program as a recruiting tool, both for athletes and non-athletes alike. They have always had a lot of success at recruiting athletes who are students of color, as compared to Amherst, where the athletic program, traditionally, has been less diverse than the rest of the student body.

Yet, for whatever reason, this year seems different. Though such statistics are not published officially, it seems unlikely that Williams could see a decline in the diversity of the student body without a subsequent drop in the percentage of minority athletes. It also points to a much larger debate which is quietly beginning to boil in Williamstown-the role of athletics at a small school.

Williams has been able to repeatedly attract amazing student-athletes because of their unparalleled success. Because only one NESCAC team will be able to go to NCAAs in most sports, Williams won't be able to send as many teams to national tournaments. With fewer teams in NCAAs, each year, they'll have a harder time attracting top athletes-and other desirable applicants-to the school.

It is here that this becomes germane to the Fairest College. Williams will have three choices. First, they can accept the decline in the competitiveness of their athletic program, and strive to reach a balance between athletics and academics. Part of this would have to involve a move to diversify the student body, which, judging by this year's admission statistics, isn't happening anytime soon.

Second, they can intensify their efforts to maintain a strong athletic program. This means heavier athletic recruiting, which in turn means both a less diverse student body and a move away from its current academic strength. Once again, unlikely. The third option, and the one that might make the most sense, is to scale back the athletic program deliberately. Williams has 31 varsity teams at a school of 2,000 students. To have 25 teams instead of 31 would make it a lot easier to compete for top student-athletes in those sports, without otherwise detracting from the academic integrity of the institution.

At Amherst we're faced with a similar numbers crunch-we have 27 teams and 1,650 students. Would we be better off with 23 instead of 27? We're a long way off from ever having to answer that question, but we should definitely keep our attention focused on our beloved rivals. What's bad for Williams, in the long term, can only be bad for Amherst as well.

Issue 05, Submitted 2000-10-04 16:12:40