NYU's apathy for athetics undeserved

Arnav Chakravatry's column ("Student apathy leads to cycle of not caring," Sept. 27) made a statement that student apathy has created a cycle of not caring. Being a student-athlete here at NYU, I was very much offended. It seemed that the writer hadn't talked to an athlete or even researched our athletics teams at all.

While NYU's student apathy may lead to a cycle of not caring about the NYU athletics program, this does not mean that NYU doesn't have a top-ranked Division III athletics program, or that the administration doesn't try its hardest to support it. Regardless of whether people come to games, it's easy to notice how successful our teams are.

For instance, the women's volleyball team has been invited to the Division III NCAA Tournament each of the last five seasons and seven of the last 13. They have 13 tournament wins and have placed second and fourth nationally.

The men's cross-country team has quietly become one of the most successful teams on campus. The team finished as Regional Champions last year and is currently ranked No. 2 of all the Division III teams in the country.

The women's soccer team (10-1-1) is ranked No. 19 in Division III soccer nationally. It is the first time they have been ranked since 2002 and they are off to their best start in school history.

The men's soccer team is currently ranked No. 8. I am senior captain of the team, and we are off to another fast start with a record of 8-2-1. We also advanced to the Division III Final Four last year.

The other team mentioned by Chakravatry was the women's basketball team, which went to the Division III Final Four last year. They also are the only varsity team at NYU to win a National Championship and are perennial Division III National Championship contenders.

The achievements of NYU athletics alumni speak for themselves. Former NYU athletes Jason Boone (basketball) and Nick Katsanos (soccer) play professionally abroad, which is something many college athletes don't do.

The NYU athletics program has never demanded as much attention as it does now. Last year, we ranked 14th in the country in the Directors' Cup for Division III. The Cup is a system which awards points for finishing nationally ranked in each sport, and then adds up those points to declare an overall winner. Last year's 14th place was the highest ranking ever for NYU.

A NYU student couldn't ask for a better time to be an athletics fan. Chakravatry's article claimed that we weren't competitive because we don't give any athletic scholarships. Was he aware that it is illegal in Division III sports to give athletic scholarships?

Chakravatry also claimed that the Athletics Department didn't try hard enough to make sports matter here. To the contrary, it does a tremendous job in recruiting athletes and has the budget to prove it: Our athletics budget competes with many other top schools in the country for NCAA Division III sports.

Though Chakravatry's statements were offensive, one can be sure that our athletics teams will continue earning national attention regardless of our student following. As NYU athletes, we all wear a target on our backs when we play other schools. They recognize what a top-notch athletics school we've become. We are a Division III powerhouse, and I suggest the student body come and support us.

As for our current fans: Thank you. I know I'm saying this for everyone in the NYU athletics family when I say we really appreciate it. We have great fans. We couldn't have been as successful without you. We hope that more of you will come out to see and support us!

Nick Palmer is a contributing columnist. E-mail him at sports@nyunews.com.