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Opinion
The Clarion \ May 2, 2008
The Problem with the Solution
by Dana Ainsworth
Special to the Clarion
Last week, Psychology 101 learned about
“Confirmation Bias.” The term means “to
commit to one hypothesis without
adequately testing any other possibilities”.
One student gave a compelling example:
President Van Horn’s commitment to a
football team as a means of making money
and drawing attention to Brevard College.
It is true that Brevard College is in need
of a solution to the problems they have
faced since expanding to a four-year
institution: underpaid employees and
professors, an unusually low retention rate,
the lack of maintenance across campus, a
closed pool, a closed dormitory, deplorable
athletic facilities and music classrooms that
at times lack heat all reflect the monetary
needs of this school.
The football team, which was meant to be
the solution, seems to have simply
generated greater problems. That’s not to
say that the presence of a football team is
unwelcome; obvious indicators might
however suggest that it is not serving its
intended purpose. Which leads one to
wonder... was the football team the only
solution? One might ponder whether the
football team was simply a familiar strategy
created in the absence of imagination. In
other words, the commitment to one
hypothesis without first testing other
possibilities.
A commitment has certainly been made.
Students brought in to play on the team
were not only promised a field by now, but
many were also promised refurbished
weight rooms and a pool. Different players
report varying guarantees made by the
school in an effort to obtain contracts.
Deadlines for that elusive field have
repeatedly been moved and the sight of
the new weight rooms still hosts an
abandoned pool. It is unfair to the players
to have to train and play in the conditions
that they do, especially after such promises
were made. Further, many of the football
players rely on athletic scholarships to
attend school. What would happen to them
if the school were no longer able to support
the team? Would they be compensated? It
is quite the dilemma.
So when, if ever, would the towel get
thrown in, defeat admitted? Or will the game
simply continue on, stubbornly bhnd to the
opinions of those most directly affected
by it? Robert Todd Carroll says, “If we
become blinded to evidence truly refuting
a favored hypothesis, we have crossed the
line from reasonableness to closed
mindedness”. Which brings us back to the
idea of confirmation bias. If the commitment
to one hypothesis turns out poorly, when
is it time to start testing other possibilities?
Brevard College has some amazing and
unique attributes that cultivated properly
could be a maj or draw, both monetarily and
physically. It seems that a vast majority of
students are attracted to this campus for
its serene location and its unique
environment and wilderness programs.
There are not many schools that have rows
of kayaks stacked outside their dorms or
drum circles on weekend nights. Surely
with a little imagination, this appeal to green
living and a natural environment can be
shaped into something productive. There
must be a solution that reflects the ideals,
standards and unique lifestyle of the
community of Brevard as well as the
general population of the college campus.
It is time that the board thinks outside the
box and gets creative about finding an
answer for the needs of Brevard College.
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