The university cuts swimming.

Next is baseball.

The community loses athletes.

The school loses students.

What exactly are the athletes losing?

They lose scholarships and the pride of wearing the Cardinal and Gold.

But there is one loss that is far greater and virtually irreplaceable.

Friendship. These men spend each day throughout the whole year by each others sides.

They swim laps and work to achieve the perfect swing. In every situation, they learn to trust.

They trust the coach to lead them to victory and teach them along the way. They trust each other in turning double plays and knowing if they get on base, they will get batted in.

They trust that all will have great starts and sharp, crisp turns as they swim through the water. They trust they will get the job done academically in order to remain eligible.

They trust each other to talk. They trust each other to look out for one other when out on the town.

In a sense, we are not just losing a couple sports, we are destroying two strong families that can never be replaced.

We are also losing brothers.

I am an athlete here at Iowa State. I compete in softball and am disturbed by the recent news.

The baseball team has been next to us in all we do. Our fields are right next to one another and we share practice time at the rec center.

We, too, share friendships and nights out. We share the love of the game. We will miss them all greatly.

So for all you folks who are upset by these cuts, do not fool yourselves.

You are the people who want us to compete in better bowl games and consistently have top-ranked basketball teams. Well, your wish is being granted.

To have football and basketball prosper, more money needs to be spent on their part.

Chalk up $370,000 for the cause. Just how many more will suffer in this effort?

To the swimmers, divers, baseball players and their coaches, thank you for your hard work in the classroom and in competition.

We wish you the best of luck in your futures.

Jil Hlavacek

Softball team member

Sophomore

Technical communication