Following the current thread about gender equity, Title IX and
other related issues, I found this article in Tuesday's Wall Street
Journal (page B1).
The title is "Alumni Wrestle with Princeton to take their
Gift Despite Strings."  Quoted (without permission) from Steve
Stecklow's carefully crafted article that is just full of great puns!
 
<begin>
   Princeton University is grappling with some powerful --- and quite
angry --- alumni.
   The issue is the sport of wrestling.  Last year, the university
decided to dump its 88-year-old varsity wrestling program as part
of some campuswide belt-tightening.
   "It was a low blow," charges John K. Johnston, who was assigned
administrative duties after coaching the team to 10 Ivy league titles
during a 29-year career.
   The 650-member Friends of Princeton Wrestling, an alumni group
of former Princeton wrestlers and fans, hasn't taken the matter
lying down.  Ever since the decision was announced, the group
has been battling back, writing letters, holding meetings and
lobbying trustees.  Even Princeton's president, Harold T. Shapiro,
dived into the fray, defending the action in an alumni magazine.
   Last week, the alumni tried a new move.  The group announced
it had received $2 million in pledges to set up an endowment to
fully fund the $100,000-a-year wrestling program.
   The givers include some prominent former Princeton wrestlers ---
Frank C. Carlucci and Donald H. Rumsfield, both former U.S.
secretaries of defense, and Rep. Jim Leach, the Iowa congressman.
   But Princeton officials say they can't accept the endowment
offer because it violates university policy against taking
contributions with strings attached.  While the school will take
money to endow chairs or for other specific purposes, Van Zandt
Williams Jr., vice president for development, says the trustees
must retain the right to change a gift's purpose --- a provision
he says the ex-wrestlers won't accept.
   Mr. Williams says he sees no difference between scrapping
wrestling and dropping antiquated college clubs, such as a
society of lute musicians.  His analogy infuriates Clay
McEldowney, chairman of the alumni group.  Noting a study that
shows wrestling is the sixth most popular high school sport,
ahead of swimming and tennis, he charges that the "university
continues to put out misinformation to try and rationalize this
decision."
    Mr. McEldowney vows that his group will keep on fighting.
Meanwhile, university spokeswoman Jacquelyn Savani refuses to
be pinned down on its chances of winning.  "I'd hate to make
predictions," she says.
<end>
 
This must be the Hockey-L off-season ... my second post in the same
week ;-)