Supporters of the Brandeis swimming and diving team and swim programs have begun to express their concerns to University administrators and to create awareness about the potential end of the swimming and diving program due to the indefinite closure of the 41-year-old Linsey pool, which many say could have and should have been repaired or replaced years ago. The pool closed Oct. 28 because the temperatures of the pool water and the air in the poolroom were too cold to swim.

Senior Vice President for Communications Lorna Miles said in a phone interview that it would cost about $2 million to repair the broken air-handling system, heaters and pipes, which were leaking chlorinated water onto the floor of the mechanical room underneath the pool. She said a full renovation of the pool is estimated to cost $10 to $12 million.

No decision has been made yet as to the future of the pool or the swim program.

Brandeis swimming and diving alumni said there have been various mechanical problems within the pool building since at least the 1980s.

Head swim coach Jim Zotz explained that a new pool was part of a master construction plan in the mid-1980s and again in the early 1990s but never ended up being built.

"What could have been, should have been, never developed," he said.

Last week supporters of the swimming and diving programs began a letter-writing campaign to University President Jehuda Reinharz, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer urging them to consider the importance of the swimming and diving programs for the community.

Clark University head swimming and diving coach Paul Phillips '95 created a Facebook group supporting the Brandeis swimming and diving team that currently has over 1,000 members.

Former swimmer Erica Friedman '06 said Zotz has sent alumni pledge forms to help support the current team.

Lev Davidson '06 said that alumni will launch a Web site soon where individuals can donate to the team online and write letters to the administration.

Many alumni have written in e-mails to administrators about how much the swimming and diving team influenced their lives.

"Some of the most important experiences and memories of Brandeis come from my time with the team. . I dread the possibility that future Brandeis students will not have the opportunities that I had to train, compete and grow with the swim team," former swimmer Ariel Ahram '01 wrote in an e-mail to administrators.

In response e-mails to team supporters, Reinharz and Miles wrote that the "global economic situation" has created "serious financial obstacles for institutions everywhere."

"To deal with these unprecedented financial challenges, the University will remain focused, and accordingly, like most other institutions, we must defer some of our projects-including our long term hope to build a new, competitive swimming facility for our athletes and others to enjoy," Reinharz and Miles wrote in their e-mails.

Phillips said the pool could potentially be useable just by fixing the water filtration system. He said Clark replaced its entire water filtration system for about $50,000 in 2002.

Zotz explained that the in the past, the University has faced the decision of whether to put money into renovations or wait to completely replace the pool later.

He said that in the mid-1980s the University made plans to build the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, with a new pool officially part of the $24 million plan.

He said athletics administrators asked him whether it would be OK to hold off on building the pool in order to make a nicer gym facility, and he agreed at the time. He said he believes that the Gosman project ended up finishing $3 million under budget.

In 1991 Zotz said the pool was again part of a plan to update sports facilities.

He said that prior to this time, Joseph Linsey had pledged a donation to be disbursed upon his passing, and the Lou and Lutza Smith family had pledged to donate money that would go toward renovations or be used toward the building of a new pool.

Zotz said that a renovation or replacement of the pool never happened.

Eddy wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, "I'm not aware of donors in the past specifically donating for repairs to the pool."

Documents regarding the pledges from the Linsey and Lutza families were not available to the Justice at the time of publication.

Athletics Director Sheryl Sousa wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that she gave a presentation last October to the Board of Trustees "regarding the state of the pool and concerns with its sustainability," and believed that the members were interested in thinking of ways to improve the situation.

She told the Justice in an interview that there is a huge gap between the significant costs to renovate the pool and annual repairs, which have cost thousands of dollars.

Vice President for Campus Operations Mark Collins said that the facilities department has done a good job of keeping the pool going and making necessary repairs.

He said the University presently has deferred maintenance in every building and said facilities staff members "could arguably say yes," the air handler should have been replaced before it failed completely.

Former swimmer Mike Eisenberg '84 said "the administration needs to figure out what it needs to do," but for now the team is concentrating on getting through the rest of the year.

The swimmers and divers are currently practicing at Bentley University and Regis College.

Zotz said the team has had to use some of the money it normally raises from swimming lessons to cover expenses this year beyond what it normally spends for its annual training trip because the swimming and diving budget has been cut twice.

Women's swim team captain Rachel Nadas '09 said the team has been talking about possibly holding a fundraiser with students to cover the rest of the team's budget.

She said the team captains are meeting with Eddy and Sawyer today to gain a better understanding of what possibilities are being considered for the team.

While members of the swimming and diving team cope with the situation, three swimmers have quit the team since the pool closed, because of frustrations regarding the situation.

Rachel Sawicki '10, Ross Goldstein '11 and Emily Pope-Obeda '09 all said they would continue to support the team.

"One of the most important things is for us to keep raising awareness and for the team to keep its spirits up," Pope-Obeda said.