Titans under fire
Anonymous email writer calls out men’s ice hockey team.
December 5, 2007
Josh Schweitzer
Before you read anymore, allow these next several sentences to soak well into your skull. As an athlete myself, I am a huge fan of all sports. I enjoy fast paced, intense competition. I love rivalries and grudges, passion and commitment. I love all of the blood, sweat and tears that go into every aspect of all sports. I am also a proud supporter of university sport and applaud all athletes who are able to compete at the varsity level. With that being said, let it be known that what you are about to read is solely in response to a single person’s opinion.
Three weeks ago, the Mars’ Hill received an email from an anonymous writer who was very unhappy with this year’s sports coverage. The individual, who went by alias’ Chuck McNuck, Dr. Sports and K.H., was enraged that Trinity Western University Titans Hockey was receiving Mars’ Hill coverage at all. The individual stated several opinions about TWU Titans Hockey, requested that administration cease plans of building a TWU Arena, and demanded that not only the Titans hockey team remove the “TWU” from their uniform but for all Titans teams to do the same.
The writer’s first explanation as to why the Titans have been receiving coverage at all was because the men’s hockey team has some type of exclusive connection with Mars’ Hill. To a certain extent, the anonymous individual was correct – Mars’ Hill does indeed have a unique relationship to TWU Titans Hockey: I am a Titan.
As for the other half of the writer’s complaint, the Titans do not have some sort of exclusive press rights with Mars’ Hill. Anyone can write an article for the newspaper. This means Spartans, Titans, and Bombers fans can all write anything they want about their respective team. All they have to do is send it in to the editor. The section editors are very easy to contact, as their email addresses and names can be found under their section title. In fact, Mars’ Hill is always looking for writers. A grand total of one person has come to Mars’ Hill this year volunteering to write for one of the Spartans teams. Another student has been assigned to cover Spartans activity if the student isn’t too busy. Otherwise, the Spartans coverage is taken care of by me, a TWU Titans hockey player. Of course, I can’t always make it to Spartans games because I have my own games to go to. Thus, I end up scouring the Internet and local newspapers well into the early hours of the morning, just to find any information about Spartans athletics. If you, enraged emailer, are so concerned about the lack of Spartans coverage in Mars’ Hill, why are you yet to write an article yourself? Have you even considered writing anything?
Twice in this person’s email were encouragements to the Titans organization to impede thoughts of an eventual TWU Ice Arena. The individual even threatened to “fire off another email” if the school was still considering a TWU CIS ice hockey team. Well, those at Mars’ Hill better brace themselves for another email because the arena is already being built. In fact, as of recent weeks, the TWU Titans hockey team has already been moved from being a part of Recreational Services and into Athletics with the Spartans volleyball, soccer, and basketball clubs, and by the 2009-2010 season TWU should be starting the process of having their own CIS ice hockey team.
The writer also requested that the Titans hockey team, as well as the other Titans clubs, remove the “TWU” from their uniforms – as if to state that all non-Spartan TWU teams are illegitimate in regards to representing TWU. Don’t get me wrong, the Spartans do an outstanding job of that when it comes to game time, but what about the rest of the time? The Titans hockey team will be representing TWU this spring break by heading overseas to Slovakia for a missions trip. Before each of their games, the Titans will be having lunches and sharing testimonies with each opposing team. They will also be holding day camps for children as well as sharing the word of God with the fans. The last time the Titans did this missions trip, an average of two thousand fans were in attendance per game. In addition, each player has to come up with $2500 to make the trip. If this doesn’t speak of dedication to, and the representation of the values of TWU, I must be missing something.
*Reference Letter to the Editor in Issues & Ideas on page 15 of the hard copy of Mars’ Hill or catch the action here.
Now you go...
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