President Brian Rosenberg told the Nordic ski team in a meeting last week that he would reserve $5,000 from his contingency budget to help develop a successful Nordic skiing club team over the next two years.

Rosenberg also told the team that he would reconsider the status of the sport after two years as a club. His announcement comes just over a week after the Athletic Department’s announcement that it demoted the Nordic ski team from a varsity sport to a club sport. The department cited a limited budget and a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) lack of interest in the sport as reasons for its decision.

The meeting included Rosenberg, Director of Athletics Irv Cross, Assistant Director of Athletics Vanessa Seljeskog, Nordic ski team Head Coach Morrey Nellis, Assistant Coaches Jesse Crandall and Kerstin Forsythe and the skiers.

“It was a useful meeting, I think, at least in the sense that the team members have a clearer understanding of the process,” Rosenberg said. “We also talked about more effective ways of notifying students in the future when such changes are being seriously contemplated.”

“I can’t say that I feel any better about the team being cut, but I will rest assured that skiing will not disappear at Macalester as long as there are skiers who are committed to their sport,” team captain John Wheeler ’06 said.

“We will be able to train and compete next year; however, I still feel that the wrong decision was made,” skier Ari Ofsevit ’06 said. “The leadership of the college needs to take command of the decision-making process for issues such as these when programs are at stake, not just leave it up to the ADs.”

“While I believe varsity status may be more valuable than money for the long-term health of Nordic racing at Macalester, the president’s commitment of additional resources for two seasons is an outstanding gesture of support to those students currently skiing,” Nellis said. “Everyone now seems to be focused on moving forward toward building the best future possible for Mac skiers in this new environment.”