Why I voted no on D-1

UCSD is currently deciding on whether or not it will move into Division 1 sports. The entrance fee to D-1 would be an additional $165 to the Student Activity Fee. The total student fee would also be adjusted annually according to CPI. I’m against the move to D-1 simply because it’s just not the right time. Yes, financial aid will cover students who have financial aid, but for students just above that cut-off line, how can you expect them to willingly pay so much more money? I’m lucky to receive financial aid, but what about those who need it but don’t receive it? I came to UCSD for its strong academics. I didn’t care that there was no football team or that we were D-2. I came here to learn.

Actually, I wasn’t even going to attend this university. My plan had always been to attend a small liberal arts college, so coming here was definitely a surprise for me. But since I’d always had my heart set on a small college, where most were D-3, sports really didn’t matter to me whatsoever. Don’t get me wrong, I love sports, but to ask me to place sports above my financial needs? Above my focus on education? Sorry, but I just can’t do that. 

What would D-1 do for students? Honestly, a majority of students on campus are off in some nook or cranny studying most of the time. The focus on academics here is both a blessing and a curse. Of course as students, we should come out to support our teams, but think back on Spirit Night. How many students showed up out of the entire school population? I went to support my Women’s undefeated Basketball team, but once we enter D-1, how many games do we have to lose before we start winning? How about we start focusing on strengthening our other teams before we try to embarrass ourselves in front of the entire NCAA Division 1. Ooh, how about creating a football team and nurturing it into a strong team before making the move into D-1. I’d love for sports to foster a sense of school spirit, but since we don’t even have a football team as of yet, I don’t see how that’s plausible.  

I believe that students have always come to this school for its strong academics. We aren’t in D-1 and we’re still doing fine. In 61 years, UCSD has become a solid powerhouse of a university, gaining nationwide recognition for its numerous achievements and leaps in various fields of research. At the forefront of research, over 60% of our programs are in the top 20 of the nation. How did sports contribute to these great achievements? We don’t need to be in D-1 to be respected and recognized; we already are. 

There are so many other places for improvement at this school, things that should be considered now. Not something like going into D-1. How about giving us back Clics? A library still open past midnight would be wonderful. How about having dining halls open past 8 pm so students who get out of class late can eat dinner? How about fixing the lights so I don’t have to walk through a pitch black parking lot and almost get hit by a car? What about addressing the fact that the racial composition at this university is sadly lacking and the fixing the stigma that UCSD is a racist school? How about having more selection of classes, preferably ones taught by professors rather than graduate students? UCSD, why don’t you focus on fixing issues present at hand rather than trying to create new ones. 

I wholly support the athletes on this campus; I respect them so much for their dedication to their craft and their ability to balance sports and academics. However, coming into this school, you knew that we weren’t playing at the D-1 level, but you still played with all the passion and energy you could muster. This tells me that you didn’t come to this school for sports, you came for the academics. Student first, athlete second. 

I don’t know how to end this blog, but yeah, this is just my reasoning for voting no.