(no subject)

[wavyarms]

My brother is reading for class about at Williams College, in 95-96, our women's lacrosse team couldn't go to the playoffs despite being 12-0. Apparently there was a big uproar. Anybody remember this? Responses in the next half hour would be appreciated by him, since class is at 9, but responses at all would be appreciated by me, since apparently I'm blonde and can't remember this sort of thing.

Comments

google-fu

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

Check this out: http://www.williams.edu/athletics/news.php?id=2857&type=ephcomplishment

"Chris Mason's 1996 Williams women's lacrosse team compiled a record of 15-0, was ranked first nationally, but the Ephs were denied a chance to participate in the 1996 NCAA Tournament due to a conflict with the school's final exam schedule. They did win the ECAC-New England Tournament title as the ECAC tournament dates did not conflict with the final exam schedule and they established an Eph record for most wins in a season."

Re: google-fu

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

Oh, the final exam schedule conflict! Yeah, I do remember that. I didn't pay much attention, though, and I figured it was no bad thing that academics would come before sports, but I didn't know the details of the situation.

Too bad it's 9:04. ;)

Re: google-fu

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

Ah, well, if he had tried "Williams College" "Women's Lacrosse" History, he would have found it right away, but it took me a minute to realize that History was going to work better then 95 96.

Academics is the most important part of college, but never getting a chance to play in the NCAA finals is a pretty big deal. My first go around in grad school, I was playing ultimate and we earned a spot to college nationals. The team was very small. We were happy when we had a sub or two and had to "savage" a lot of tournaments without subs. Well, we were all grad students and nationals fell partially on finals week, so we had to decide to not stay. I was part of group that said "Fuck finals," but I was also failing out of grad school at the time. The "Fuck finals" crowd all ended up leaving the team, although my departure was because I moved to Boston. I was really pissed for a long time about losing my nationals cred, and it made getting onto national level club teams even harder. I made it there eventually, but it was a lot of work.

Re: google-fu

[2h2o.livejournal.com]

The NESCAC exams policy always struck me as pathetic because it ignores the effects of games played during the semester. Class sessions cannot be made up, but exams - particularly where there is an honor code in place - can be, and trivially. Baseball and basketball schedules do more to disrupt academic schedules than any post-season contest. It seems to me to be little more than a way for the faculty to express their antipathy toward athletics.

The other reason the women's lacrosse team was so upset was that when Williams backed out, they left an opening in the tournament, and Amherst filled it. They picketed the president's front lawn over it.

Re: google-fu

[ethicsgradient.livejournal.com]

Good points. The exams policy is just lip service to the idea that academics are more important than the sports. It's an easy thing to say, and rarely makes a difference, and life usually goes on.

[ex-a517dogg70.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm more interested in people's reactions to it than information about it, because it was pretty well covered in the book itself.