LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Closing of Georgia Southwestern pool would have lasting impact

To the editor:

My name is Virgil Nichols. I am a retired faculty professor and I am writing for the students, faculty/staff and members, and the Americus community at large to voice our concerns regarding the GSW Deriso Pool closure and demolition. We have just recently been made aware of this situation with the pool, and we can’t help but feel outraged, let down, and misled.

This pool presents value to the community in multiple ways, and it has been an integral part of Americus for many years, well before the tenure of the current university president.

We believe that GSW’s administration has not done due diligence in analyzing and understanding the inherent value of the Deriso Pool.

First of all, this pool possesses great historical significance as a community landmark that has cultivated several elite competitive swimmers, as well as an Olympic medalist.

Second of all, we live in south Georgia, which can get awfully hot and muggy during the summer months — and anytime in between. This is a truly hot climate. Having access to a public pool throughout the hotter months is most certainly a fundamental community asset — and a true necessity.

In years past, especially before COVID, the pool was being actively used by students, faculty and staff, alumni, retired GSW employees, and the community at large.

A variety of community events were hosted throughout the spring, summer, and fall: Swimming lessons, water aerobics classes, competitive swim team practices, high school season practices, pool parties, and other recreational events.

The list is extensive.

Thus, the true value of this pool cannot be emphasized enough. Furthermore, this is essentially the only quality indoor, multilane public pool readily accessible to residents throughout Sumter County and surrounding areas.

With all this in mind, we are urgently requesting that you please re-evaluate your decision to demolish the Deriso Pool. Should this decision come to fruition, the resulting negative impact on GSW, Americus, and the surrounding community would be tangible and long-lasting, as is the case when losing any valuable community asset.

Even if current funds don’t allow for a full renovation, the best approach would simply be to temporarily close it down, instead of going through with a full and irreversible demolition. Future fundraising efforts can be organized, and the community can be given more opportunities to rally behind it in an effort to gradually rebuild it.

We sincerely hope that our voices will be heard and that you will consider the needs of the surrounding community, which have credence outside the vested interests of USG politics.

University presidents come and go, but residents of the community remain here for years and decades on end. The closure of the Deriso Pool would only benefit the current GSW president, but it would be a harmful setback to the rest of us with lasting consequences for future generations and university employees alike.

Virgil Nichols

Americus