Column misunderstands athletics

When I read Kristin Butler's Oct. 20 column, "Fight, Blue Devils, fight," I felt confused, disturbed and a bit angry. Butler's article questions the existence of Duke Athletics because of its contribution to the "academic and cultural landscape of this University," or lack thereof, and thus implies that either students here don't really care about athletics, or that they should be eliminated or changed dramatically.

Butler argues that because scholarship athletes are "less well prepared academically and personally to contribute to the intellectual atmosphere at Duke," that there is "violence done to our campus culture and to our reputation by these admissions preferences [that favor prospective scholarship athletes over regular students in the admissions process]."

I disagree wholeheartedly with this premise. It seems to me that Butler mistakes the very definition of "campus culture." I would not define campus culture as simply "the exchange of stimulating intellectual ideas in a purely academic environment," as Butler implies. Rather, there is much more to life at our dear old Duke than academics, and athletics play a major role in defining this culture.

The student body and alumni regularly come together to watch basketball and numerous other sports on campus in support of Duke University. Athletes and non-athletes alike support Duke as a student body and not as a fractured social structure. So the principal argument that Ms. Butler makes-that athletics creates "a deep social and intellectual divide" at Duke-is absolutely wrongheaded. Ms. Butler does not consider the positive impact that athletics has on our community and our campus culture for athletes and non-athletes alike: It creates common bonds and camaraderie that could not be had otherwise.

In academics we compete against each other, but in athletics we compete together as Dukies. Accepting students who do not quite reach Duke's lofty standards is but a small price to pay for the sense of community that athletics creates among Duke students.

James Dickey

Trinity '06

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