Is there a modest rewrite of this swim test rationale that would justify the importance of having an antiracism educational requirement for all students?
The benefits of the swim requirement are numerous. Besides the obvious, which is, learning to swim and to enjoy the water (We annually teach a huge population of people to swim) the students are also learning how to confront and deal with that which to them is an extremely formidable problem, fear of drowning! All of the students participating in the beginning swimming classes have a degree of fear that ranges from mild to nearly paralyzing. When they have completed the swimming program that fear is gone or at least substantially reduced. In addition, individuals who cannot swim frequently come from families where one or both of the parents cannot swim. As we teach students to swim we help to break this multi-generational cycle. Therefore, the required swimming program reaches far beyond just the students of the University, and its long range benefit is incalculable!
This prose is taken from a report by the Senate’s Faculty Advisory Committee on Athletics and Physical Education.
