|
Another Polo Alumni
Weekend
by Kara Chin
May 2004
Skidmore Scope Profile: Leighton Jordan
’78
Winter 2003
Skidmore Scope Profile: Jed Lavitt
’77
Spring 2002
From the Polo Arena: A Personal Perspective
by Fritz Musser
SGA and Club
Sports
by Josh Feuer and Mark Roney
Sheep, Pigskins, and Musical Chairs
The History of Sports at Skidmore
November 11, 2000
The Student Activity Fee
by Shawn McCormack - Editor in Chief
March 26, 1999
Women's Polo Finishes Third at Regionals
by Jonathan Preston - Contributing Writer
March 3, 1996
From the Polo Arena: A Personal Perspective
by Fritz Musser
In conjunction with this week's cover story, the Skidmore News asked me
to write about my experiences with the SGA club-funding process. I have
nothing but positive things to say about it.
Without SGA's generous support, the Skidmore Polo Club would not exist
and, for their support, I am tremendously grateful. My experiences on
the club have been among the best of my college experiences. The people,
the competition, the camaraderie, and the travel have been nothing short
of fantastic. I know the other members of the club share my sentiments,
otherwise they would not put in the long hours or the hard work that the
club demands.
The Polo Club receives significantly more financial support then most
other SGA clubs as any activity that involves animals is inherently expensive.
Despite these additional costs, SGA is still willing to support the Polo
Club because it sees the club as a valuable and unique asset to Skidmore.
SGA supports the polo program at Skidmore because it is one of about 20
collegiate polo programs in the country with Skidmore being the only liberal
arts college in the nation to have one.
SGA knows that the Polo Club is one of the most successful sports teams
on campus because it has won several regional championships and that it
is one of two sports teams at Skidmore to have won a national championship.
Through its success, the Polo Club has brought Skidmore national and international
recognition through write-ups in publications such as USA Today, Sidelines,
and Polo magazine.
Also, the Polo Club puts Skidmore in touch with schools with which it
might not otherwise be in touch-i.e. Cornell, Yale, Harvard, Stanford,
the University of Virginia, the University of Connecticut, and others.
SGA supports the Polo Club because Saratoga Springs is synonymous with
horses, horse racing and polo. When people think of Skidmore, they expect
it to have both a riding team and a polo team and want themselves or their
child to go to Skidmore in part because of these teams.
SGA also supports the Polo Club because it provides Skidmore students
who are interested in veterinary medicine with the only opportunity at
Skidmore to get experience in providing care for horses by allowing its
members to administer shots and tend to cuts, infections, lameness and
other cares as need be. All students involved with the club learn important
life lessons from having to care for another living thing-responsibility
for taking care of the horses and looking out for their well-being breeds
respect for and fascination with life of all kinds.
Finally, SGA supports the club because of the its commitment to and involvement
in the community. Once a week, the club provides individuals outside the
immediate Skidmore community with the opportunity to learn and play polo.
Again, I must thank SGA for its support. However, I wish the club's situation
was different and thus that I would have never even been considered to
write about the SGA club-funding process. Instead, I wish the administration
recognized what a unique and valuable asset the Polo Club is and supported
it as it does other sports.
While my experiences on the club have been among the best of my college
experiences, my continuing efforts to re-establish ties between the College
and the club have been among the worst. Just as I have full faith in the
American democratic system, I came to Skidmore with full faith in its
tripartite form of governance, believing that in either case a group of
concerned individuals could have their voice heard and could positively
change their nation or college. After four years of trying to do this,
it is hard not to believe otherwise.
I have spoken with President Porter, with the Trustees, with the Dean
of Students, with the Vice President of Business Affairs and with the
Athletic Director and I met with All College Council about the possibility
of the Polo Club being funded by the college and being able to practice
and play in Skidmore's Van Lennep Riding Hall as it was and did six years
ago. In each instance, I was heard but with no subsequent action taking
place. Usually, I was directed elsewhere until I was going around in circles.
Citing his lack of knowledge on the topic, President Porter deferred to
and directed me to the "experts." I appreciated and continue
to appreciate his honesty. However, while I recognize that the individuals
to whom he directed me are experts in certain areas (in those regards,
I too defer to them), who can be better experts than those with years
of experience with polo? Why not accept the expertise offered by the members
of the Polo Club? Still, as directed, I met with various other individuals.
In these meetings, several reasons were offered as to why the Polo Club
was incompatible with the activities of riding program that take place
in Van Lennep. The Polo Club offered viable solutions to these problems
only to be told that these were not the problem but that other things
were. Again the Polo Club offered solutions only to be told of yet other
problems until the club was again going around in circles.
One of the main obstacles offered by the college has always been the high
cost of polo. The college originally stopped funding and supporting the
then varsity polo team after a series of budget cuts that took place five
years ago. I understand that the budget and costs are always pressing
concerns especially when state aid is decreasing. However, polo is just
as legitimate a sport as any other one Skidmore funds and thus the college
must fund it the same.
Again, given the fact that polo involves horses, it cannot help but have
additional costs that sports not involving animals do not have. However,
at the same time, the Polo Club does not have the cost of a coach. Our
coach, David Zeliger, is content to know that, by teaching and coaching
polo, he is ensuring that polo will not die at the collegiate, amateur,
or professional level.
Given this and given the costs of other sports (including a part of the
salaries and benefits of the coach, assistant coaches, trainers and the
costs of equipment, travel, utilities, etc.), the Polo Club feels that
the cost per athlete of polo to Skidmore would be comparable to the cost
per athlete of the sports the college currently funds. If this is the
case, the college must not discriminate against polo.
As I said before, I have complete faith in the democratic process. It
is in this spirit that I write-to publicly voice my concerns, to inform
others, and to demand accountability. I have always understood that the
end of a democracy is a good of the Platonic sort. For the reasons outlined
above, I do not understand how the college could view the Polo Club as
anything but valuable and in turn want not only to have a polo team, but
to actively fund and support it as well.
I also know that compromise must be central to any democracy. The Polo
Club is willing to compromise and the college must do the same. Clearly,
the Polo Club does not expect that Skidmore will begin funding it immediately.
Change in a democracy is slow. However, funding the Polo Club must be
a goal of the college. The college can, however, commit to allowing the
Polo Club to board, practice, and play games in Van Lennep Riding Hall
starting next September.
When polo used to be played in Van Lennep, it was one of the most popular
sports at Skidmore, regularly attracting 150-200 fans. Alumni often tell
me how much they used to enjoy watching games. Our coach, who played for
Cornell, fondly recalls how he used to both love and hate coming to play
at Skidmore as the fans gave Skidmore such a home-field advantage but
how the noise and energy of the fans made the game exciting nonetheless.
The Club would like to make polo the popular sport it once was.
My collegiate polo career concludes at the end of this semester. Therefore,
I write not for myself but for the betterment of the college and for all
future Skidmore polo players. I write because I hope that Skidmore will
recognize the many benefits of having a polo team and will do what it
can to ensure that as many people as possible can have accessible to them
the wonderful experiences inherent in the unique, wonderful sport of polo.
SGA and Club Sports
By Josh Feuer and Mark Roney
The Student Government Association wields a great deal of power on campus.
Burdened with the task of distributing the money allotted for the various
activities on campus, SGA senators must be very discerning when deciding
who will receive funding. Recently, SGA has also had to shoulder the burden
of supporting the various sports clubs on campus, which is not been an
easy task.
A club team receives money by following the same guidelines that other
clubs on campus do. A club must compose a charter for itself, which then
must be ratified by Senate. In its budget request, a club must itemize
what the money will be used for. SGA will then provide funding for some
items, while others, such as uniforms or "capital investments,"
are considered unworthy of funding by the student government.
Following each club's initial funding, the clubs must subsequently submit
an annual budget request each year. This process ensures that SGA can
continually evaluate what will be necessary for the club in order for
it to continue to thrive.
As Budget and Finance Committee Chair Chris Constantian '99 stated, "We
are trying to foster many different interests on campus. And just because
there is an athletic department on campus as well doesn't mean that we
shouldn't help kids who want to play a sport." In fact, SGA has been
instrumental in the survival of the polo team.
Originally founded as a team in 1976, the polo team was funded by the
school. However, in 1991, the school became worried that the polo team
would gain an elitist reputation, and canceled their funding of the team.
At this point, SGA became involved in financing the team. If not for this
assistance, the team would have ceased to exist, according to team member
Fritz Musser '97. SGA has continually financed the club every year with
a substantial amount of assistance.
As a result, Musser is pleased with the club's work with SGA. "I
have nothing but positive things to say about SGA, because without their
generosity the team would cease to exist. During our times of being in
the red, they've been understanding and have continued to support us,"
said Musser.
Although the majority of club representatives do feel that SGA does an
acceptable job in financing their clubs, some feel the system is far from
perfect. Some students who wished to remain anonymous saw a main problem
in whether or not the senators see the club in question as "serious."
Club representatives say that certain senators may believe that the members
are either just trying to have fun at SGA's expense or simply that the
sport is not worthy of any money because they feel it is frivolous.
One member, speaking anonymously because this year's budget process is
underway, felt the process is a hassle. "The past couple of years
it [dealing with SGA] wasn't that bad; we had a couple of senators on
our side," she said. But now without those senators, being taken
seriously has meant a lot more effort and time than ever before. "It's
a tough process to go through," she continued.
Another problem that clubs have dealt with, not surprisingly, is not receiving
all the money they ask for. While this does not stop the team from having
its initial events, it creates the need for fundraising as well as a possible
return to senate with a request for a supplemental funding.
Members have expressed problems, especially with the skepticism involved
in returning to SGA to ask for money. The supplemental budget request
means another appearance and dissection of the request by SGA, which would
not have been necessary if the initial budget would have been approved.
"Breaking money down for the next year is tough. Every year is different
and last years numbers don't necessarily reflect the needs of the current
one," said one senator.
Also, due to the lack of initial funding, clubs often struggle to attain
a strong membership base. The water polo club was granted its charter
earlier this year. The club had made an initial request of $500-$700 which
would cover the cost of the balls, nets and caps necessary to start play.
However, SGA countered that they would not provide for caps, because they
do not pay for helmets or uniforms. The rationale for this, according
to club president Jon-Erik Magnus '97, is that SGA did not want to set
the precedent for buying things of that nature.
Magnus was upset at the snub because the caps are for safety. "I
thought they (SGA) would want to pay for the safety which caps provide.
It also adds legitimacy to the club," he said. As a result, club
members were required to pay for their own caps.
This can be detrimental to a new club struggling to gain acceptance, as
well as to club members' morale. Magnus believes that due to the lack
of initial funding, the club has had a harder time in becoming seen as
a legitimate club. He stated that, "More money initially would have
gotten the club off the ground sooner. I just want people to come and
they shouldn't have to shell out money to play."
This presents a paradox for SGA. In order for a club to get chartered,
SGA has to see a certain amount of interest in the club on the part of
the student body. However, without proper funding (and the necessity of
club members' partial funding of their organization), clubs often do not
have the wherewithal to properly run their organization, thus resulting
in low participation.
Another critique of the deliberations was that college students have not
had much experience in dealing with budgets or with budget problems. When
inexperienced students are involved in what can be complex matters, snags
become inevitable. So, while SGA remains an integral partner necessary
for the success of the many sports clubs, some negative feelings remain
on the part of club members. While some clubs flourish, the stigma remains
that other clubs are left to flounder due to limited funding.
This article is believed to be an old Skidmore News article.
Skidmore Scope Profile: Leighton Jordan ’78
Winter 2002
While many alumni say Skidmore had a profound impact
on their lives, Leighton Jordan ’78 is among the few who can claim
they had a comparable effect on the college and the community of Saratoga
Springs.
Jordan was a freshman when he and two friends from the class of 1977 decided
to start a polo club. The following year, Skidmore men’s polo was
competing with Yale, Cornell, Harvard, and other top-ranking teams (Skidmore’s
women’s polo players simultaneously became intercollegiate champions),
capturing the attention of Harvard promoter Hal Chaffee, who invited the
Saratogians to challenge a premier polo team on tour from Oxford, England.
Seizing the opportunity, Jordan and his teammates hosted Oxford on October
15, 1977—the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga, a turning
point of the Revolutionary War. The following day the front page of the
New York Times sports section proclaimed, “The British have returned
to Saratoga with mallets instead of muskets… Once again, the British
were defeated by the colonies.” As Jordan recalls, “The whole
town went wild; there were banners everywhere, and people were yelling
in the streets.”
But there was more. A chance remark made by a local feed dealer started
Jordan searching for the site of a polo field created in 1901 by Harry
Payne Whitney. The original Saratoga Polo Field—which attracted
some of the era’s most famous thoroughbred racing owners and enthusiasts—was
abandoned after its final season in 1935. Piecing together information
from old photos, newspaper clippings, and the memory of a former Whitney
maintenance man, Jordan found what he was looking for—in a cornfield
a few miles from Skidmore’s campus. The Saratoga Polo Association
was born there in 1979 and is still a preeminent venue for top polo players.
Jordan returns to the site most every summer to serve as emcee for Skidmore’s
Palamountain Scholarship Benefit Polo Event.
Jordan looks forward to meeting up with classmates and former polo teammates
at his 25th reunion in May. “Those were great times—we had
a lot of fun,” he reflects. His decision to give at the FOP level
this year has a lot to do with honoring those memories: “Our 25th
is a special event, and it’s important to acknowledge that.”
The Skidmore Scope article can be found here.
Skidmore Scope Profile: Jed Lavitt ’77
Spring 2002
“Skidmore is…constantly evolving,”
states Jed Lavitt ’77 from his desk in the high-yield bond department
at Bank of Montreal in Manhattan, where he is vice president for institutional
fixed-income sales. A biochemistry major, Lavitt was at Skidmore during
its transition to a new campus and coeducation. He vividly remembers then-President
Joseph Palamountain welcoming freshmen to an institution that “we
would build together as we went along.”
Lavitt and his fellow students acted upon that opportunity: WSPN radio
was inaugurated in 1975; basketball, hockey, and lacrosse clubs grew into
competitive intercollegiate programs; and Lavitt helped create the college’s
first polo team.
After graduation, his diverse interests precipitated a shift in goals:
he earned an M.B.A. and set out for New York City’s financial district.
He also served as an alumni volunteer—until, in the early ’90s,
budget and space constraints led Skidmore to cut the polo program, and
in disappointment he withdrew from volunteering.
But two years ago Lavitt had a change of heart: “An alumni board
member told me that the Class of 1977 was apathetic, and I felt compelled
to prove her wrong,” he says. Taking up the gauntlet, he became
class president, and now he’s bringing classmates back to campus
for their twenty-fifth reunion in unprecedented numbers and encouraging
record-breaking participation in giving.
Why the turnaround? Lavitt owes it to “a tremendous wave of nostalgia”
he felt after one particular visit to Skidmore. “It was a perfect
summer night, and the strains of music floating across campus suddenly
transported me back twenty-five years to when we were helping to build
this place. It was exciting to be a part of that, and I want to keep that
feeling alive.”
Lavitt concludes, “Skidmore is a constantly
evolving organism, and I’ve adapted to that fact by doing a little
evolving of my own.”
The Skidmore Scope article can be found here.
Sheep, Pigskins, and Musical Chairs
The History of Sports at Skidmore
by Eric Kaufman - Sports Editor
November 11, 2000
We all know that sports are not exactly Skidmore's favorite
pastime. There are always the rumors: we once had a football team; a few
fans once showed up to a field hockey game (the latter is unsubstantiated).
We might poke fun at ourselves for our collective lack of coordination,
but Skidmore athletics are healthier than you might think.
The common reasoning is that because, until 1971, Skidmore did not admit
men, and because men as a whole tend to be more interested in sports than
women, athletics never had a chance to catch on at our school. In reality,
there is a lot more to it than that. To get down to the facts, a resident
expert on Skidmore's history, professor Mary Lynn, offered her perspective.
"Until the 1960s, intercollegiate sports for women were virtually
non-existent," says Lynn, who notes that this did not stop the Skidmore
women from staying active. Once or twice a year, there would be a "play
day" between colleges, but in general, most activities were intramural.
Skiddies played basketball for the women's industrial club at the turn
of the century, and in 1909, Skidmore had three basketball teams: the
"Whites", the "Yellows", and the "oscawannas".
Each team consisted of five girls and a male coach. But, as Lynn points
out, interest in sports was not extensive back then: "Skidmore did
not have a gym until the late 1920s."
Sports were always part of the scene at Skidmore though, regardless of
the times. Equestrian sports have been a staple at Skidmore for some time
as well, beginning in the 1920s. "There was a nationally recognized
horse show at the track in Saratoga, including a game of musical chairs
on horseback," says Lynn. Women could bring their own horses to Skidmore,
and the popularity and success of equestrian sports remains high at Skidmore
to this day (note our school mascot, the thoroughbred). Polo, though,
is a club sport. Lynn explains that "Polo is very expensive for only
a few people to participate."
Football's expense, relative to the number of people participating, accounts
for its conspicuous absence from the Skidmore scene. There once was a
football team here, though, and Skiddies can still boast of their undefeated
record in the sport.
It was just after World War II, when Skidmore went co-ed for almost nine
years. Men returning from the military sought higher education, and Skidmore
decided to make the switch, albeit temporarily, to meet the demand. It
was during that period that Skidmore played its first and last intercollegiate
football game.
Lynn explains that the men, wanting "a complete collegiate experience,"
organized a team and took on the Brown School, a college for veterans
in Saratoga. The final score: 0-0. Later, "Skidmore challenged the
Vassar men to a match, but they got a rather nasty response, indicating
that Vasser students didn't play other colleges." So that was the
end of varsity football at Skidmore. The team did have a mascot for that
one game, though: a sheep.
In 1971, Skidmore decided to change with the times, admitting men on a
permanent basis. With this step, the status of collegiate athletics had
to change as well. When Congress passed Title 9, (a law providing both
genders with equal access to scholastic sports), both men and women began
demanding more athletic facilities, and sports have grown steadily at
Skidmore ever since.
Lynn says that "the number of people who play keeps growing, but
there's a lack of general student support. There are so many competing
things to do, with clubs and a demanding curriculum."
The busy student certainly has a laundry list of activities to chose from,
and attending collegiate sports contests seldom seems to be at the top
of that list. Whether or not students are willing to admit it out loud,
though, athletics have been a significant part of Skidmore's history,
and they remain a quiet but important part of our culture. Students may
not like sports, but they had better believe they are here to stay.
This Skidmore News article can be found here.
The Student Activity Fee
by Shawn McCormack - Editor in Chief
March 26, 1999
Before the 1998-1999 school year started, every student
paid a $247 Student Activity Fee to create the half a million dollar budget
that powers the Student Government Association.
The SGA Senate is the body which keeps and gives out the the money,
which is used to fund the SGA chartered clubs and organizations, the
Class Councils, pay for Falstaff's, and deal with other expenses.
After the money is collected, it is divided up into five categories:
Clubs and Organizations, Falstaff's, Class Dues, Dorm Dues, and Capital
Improvements. Simply put, the Class dues pay for Class Activities, the
Dorm Dues buy squirt-guns for Dorm-Assassin and Bagels for Bagels Brunches,
but the largest portion, $434,300 out of $531,050, goes toward the Clubs
and Organizations Budget.
The Clubs and Orgs budget is further divided up into the literal money
for clubs on campus, and into a category called "SGA Commitments."
The theory is that while clubs are active some years and fall into stasis
in others, SGA Commitments are around in much the same capacity year
after year. Things like Spring Convocation, Junior Ring Weekend, The
Skidmore News, and Freshman Orientation are considered budget commitments.
The money for clubs is divided up according to the requests and needs
of the clubs that happen to be chartered at this point in time. Each club
submits an itemized budget request where every dollar is accounted for.
The SGA Senate can either approve or deny these recommendations and during
the 1998 budgeting process, nearly half of all chartered clubs received
less money than they requested. Ujima and Raices, for example, each received
$10,000 dollars less than what they requested, and Ujima and Raices both
ran through their budgets early in this semester.
This is not to say the Student Government Association is short on cash.
The SGA Commitments Budget is not only full of money., but it is full
of money that consistently does not get used.
For example, the Academic Council receives a budget commitment from
SGA every year even though they have not met in at least three years,
and possibly longer. Money is committed for Collaborative Speaker Grants
‹ grants set aside for special coalition projects that either
never get off the ground, or the possibility of receiving money is simply
unknown.
There is nearly $5,000 dollars made available by the SGA Senate to students
to conduct special projects that fall outside the scope of chartered
clubs that goes untouched year after year. Not to mention that because
the Parking Policy is an SGA policy, all the money collected from parking
tickets could be used by the SGA Senate but instead sits in an account
somewhere.
Perhaps what is most strange about the uses of the Student Activity
Fee is that the SGA Senate, who gives out the money, takes the largest
single portion.
The Student Government Association Senate does not have one specific
amount of money allocated to itself. Instead, there are a number of
different commitments that the Senate uses.
The "SGA Contingency" commitment ($14,000) is where the SGA
senate gets the money for their day to day operations. Further SGA expenses
are covered under "Executive Budgets" ($1,500), "Communications
Budget" ($4,000), "Supplies / Copies / Lab" ($13,500),
the "Dining Hall Contingency" ($1,200), and the "Leadership
Training" ($10,000) . This makes the total amount of money that
the SGA Senate allocates to itself $44,200.
The next largest budget belongs to the Student Entertainment Co., at
$38,500.
The question of whether the SGA Senate requires $44,000 to operate for
the year is not one which is easily answered. Unlike the budgets of
clubs, which are itemized, SGA Commitments ‹ with the exception
of the Skidmore News ‹ are not. And with no line-item budget to
refer to, it is impossible to differentiate where the SGA Senate money
is spent from where it ought to be spent.
This Skidmore News article can
be found here.
Women's Polo Finishes Third at Regionals
by Jonathan Preston - Contributing Writer
March 3, 1996
The Skidmore women's polo team ended its regular season
with a third place finish at the Northeast Regional Tournament, held
at Cornell University this past weekend. The women lost in the semi-final
round to the host squad in an extremely well-played game.
Kim McGann '96, Sarah Bower '96, and Breccia Cressman '97 started for
Skidmore, and held Cornell to a four-goal lead in the first chukker.
In the third chukker, Cornell came back strong and scored six unanswered
goals.
Hillary LeFevre '98, Aeolan Kelly '97, and Liz Hines '96 played the
last chukker for the Thoroughbreds, and only allowed three more Cornell
goals. Unfortunately, the trio ran out of time to make up the deficit
for the visiting squad.
Probably the most impressive aspect of this game, according to Head
Coach David Zeliger, was the teamwork and how comfortable the team was
making plays in the much larger and faster Cornell arena. "Kim
was hands down the best player on the field in the first half of that
game," said Zeliger. "They were making all the right plays
even at the much faster speed. They really showed they could play good
polo."
The team was well-represented not only by its playing, but by the number
of supporters at the tournament and in the regional awards. Almost 15
JV players and friends came to support the team and attended the annual
awards banquet for the region. The awards (an all-star team, best playing
pony, most improved, and best sportsman) are voted on by all the players
and coaches in the region. This year, Will Purvis '96 won the Sportsmanship
award, McGann won Most Improved Player, and Hector, who is part of the
Skidmore string, won Best Playing Pony in the Region.
Though the loss at Cornell was disappointing, especially to the graduating
seniors, they happily acknowledge the strong teammates they leave behind.
McGann said, "the three starters next year have enough determination
and talent to take the team where I wish I had gone: nationals. I'm
thankful I've gotten to play with them more than against them this year.
I pity the knees of next year's competition!"
The team plays Harvard this Friday at 7:00 p.m., and will continue to
play visiting clubs through the end of April.
This Skidmore News article can be found
here.
Another Polo Alumni Weekend
by Kara Chin
May 2004
Forget about the stereotype of an expensive
country club sport, these Skidmore alum polo players are here
to have fun. Skidmore polo players of the past and the present
play fast and rough, with knee bruises to prove it. As a member
of the Skidmore Polo Club, I watch eagerly as the chukkers,
or timed sessions, begin. The trimmed clean horses are sleek,
the leather bridles and saddles are spotless, and the indoor
ring is layered with soft moist dirt. Even though the barn
still has a rustic dusty feeling, it appears neat and tidy
today. A whistle is blown and the ball is thrown. While the
cold sets drifts into the barn, spectators, ie, Skidmore Polo
Club members and the alumni’s spouses, are dressed in
warm coats and sweatshirts holding tight to cups of hot coffee.
The chukkers are intense, yet playful games. When a goal is
scored on either team, there is an uproar in the crowd. Everyone
is laughing, shouting, and reminiscing about Skidmore college
memories. Suddenly the lonely wooden cavern of a barn feels
lively with cheerful voices and loud clapping. There are some
swings and misses, but overall the alum quickly pick up their
game, showing that they haven’t lost their touch over
the years. Watching the games makes me wish I were out there,
but like the rest of the club members, I must bring horses
in and out of the ring, and cool them down. After the last
chukker, the work crew swiftly puts away horses and tack.
Everyone goes home to wash off the horse stench and prepare
for a fancy dinner at Longfellows.
At the restaurant, the alum, the Polo Club,
and the coaches are as refined in their best dress as the
horses were for the game just four hours before. After chatting
away with my fellow polo players, I am seated at a table with
club members and some alum. I overhear the alum recalling
“Penfield” and “Birch B, no Birch C”
memories. Then I approach the alums with questions about their
thoughts on this weekend, the polo club, and their Skidmore
College experience.
1997 alum Fritz Musser remembers his old
coach once told him, “There are more important things
in life than polo, but you learn them from polo.” This
statement applies to all sports in general Fritz reminds me.
All sports teach athletes the politics of delegating tasks,
the diversity of player’s abilities, and the importance
of each individual’s contribution to the team.
“I haven’t missed one of these
alumni [weekends],” 1990 alumnus Jennifer Donolly tells
me. “I love coming back, seeing people, and reminiscing.”
“She enjoys being drunk with her old friends,”
her husband chimes in. She reminds me that “that’s
not the important part,” and continues to tell me about
her mentor Thom Lach, a 1987 alum who oddly enough drove an
R.V. from Ohio to participate in this weekend’s activities.
Scooting down the table, I inquire about
Thom’s polo experience. “I’m still amazed
at the uniqueness of the sport and the quality and caliber
of the people who play. It is a hard working sport and I feel
bad that the school has not supported the dedication of the
players,” he states. I sense a smidge of bitterness
from an alumn about the 1992 demotion of polo from a varsity
sport to a club sport. Personally, I share his resentment,
because my parents are currently paying a fee for me to be
in this club and the barn is a twenty minute drive from campus.
With this in mind, I question a current volunteer
coach and 1992 former Skidmore polo player and graduate Will
Worthwein. “It is great that we are one of the few clubs
that invites alumni back. It is nice to see a club continuing
to grow over time…In the future, I hope we can come
back to campus.”
Then a Skidmore College graduate throws a
piece of bread across the room of this high-class restaurant,
hitting a woman in the back of the head. “This is a
polo party,” my friend Kerina Pharr ‘06 says.
It is indeed. There is a wedding party downstairs, and here
I am upstairs with fellow polo players in the midst of a food
fight.
Awards are given out that reflects Skidmore
polo players: fun, yet serious. Belinda Colgan ’04,
the President of the club, is awarded the honor of the Founder’s
Award, an engraved silver Tiffany’s cup, while Thom
is given the Alumni Spirit Award, a Budweiser beer can on
a wooden platform.
Later on I find out from an alumnus
that the Polo Club had a tradition of throwing someone into
Longfellow’s indoor pond every year, but “[Longfellows]
wouldn’t have let us back if we kept doing that.”
But thankfully, the polo club has maintained the tradition
of dinner at Longfellows. And after witnessing the rowdiness
of this polo alumni weekend, I am hoping that we will not
only return to Skidmore College campus as a varsity sport,
but that we will be able to return to Longfellows next year.
|
