NIC: Routes to success

My friends Trustees Ken Howard and Christie Wood have served long enough to remember what a premiere, nationally-ranked athletic program NIC used to have. Newer members, Trustees Todd Banducci and Greg McKenzie, may not know the history.

Athletics serve a valuable role on college campuses; I know having attended UCLA under the dynasty of coach John Wooden.

Athletics are a source of civic pride, esprit de corps between students, faculty and community, plus diversity enhancement with student-athletes coming from across the nation and the world to Coeur d’Alene.

As a former long-term member of the NIC Booster Club, I remember the day when our men’s and women’s basketball and our wrestling teams consistently contended for national championships as members of the NJCAA.

I cannot describe enough the disgust most of us felt when NIC’s former president fired Athletic Director Al Williams.

I am sure it was not racially motivated, but Mr. Williams was to me one of the finest athletic directors in the nation and that includes UCLA! We have no idea why the former president was terminated but the firing of Mr. Williams would be a reason in my book.

Now is the time to work together to make NIC a wonderful school again. Our suggestion to the Board is to get out of the podunk NWAC and re-establish our dominance in the NJCAA immediately.

The Board’s decision to hire Michael Sebaaly as interim president was an outstanding one. We are hearing nothing but good reports about Dr. Sebaaly.

Our further suggestion to the Board is to make Dr. Sebaaly our permanent president. Already established in the community, as a respected and talented member of our faculty, selecting Mike will save the time, money, aggravation and infighting an expensive national search will trigger.

ALAN GOLUB

Hayden