As some of you will be aware, I have discussed violence and discipline in sports in a previous blog. Unfortunately, several incidents have happened in the last few weeks, which have forced me to reopen the discussion. I have played in several different sports leagues in this city. The sports include soccer (obviously), ball hockey, basketball, and even ultimate Frisbee. I’ve played them from the time I was a youth, into beer leagues, to men’s leagues, and even varsity. That being said, for all the fun I’ve had, I’ve also witnessed some terrible sportsmanship.
The worst league I’ve played in to date has been the ball hockey league I currently find myself in. The Greater Sudbury Ball Hockey League has demonstrated some of the worst acts of poor sportsmanship that I’ve ever seen. One could argue that it’s a league based on hockey, and hockey is a violent sport, but that argument is ridiculous.
For two years I’ve played pick-up games of ball hockey on Sundays, and I have NEVER witnessed a malicious attack in those games. One might say that the GSBHL is more competitive, so the action gets more intense, and tempers flare. Anyone who plays in the GSBHL will know it is not exactly a league of hidden gems as far as talent is concerned, so this argument holds no water. I have also heard it said that some of the players are out of shape, and therefore play a dirtier game to try and keep up with their faster competitors. I don’t think being slower means one has to play dirtier, and I’ve seen a lot of players who aren’t in the best of shape play very effectively against fast opponents without fouling them. There is an acceptable way to use the body in ball hockey.
The lack of sportsmanship in the GSBHL takes away the fun part of sport; namely, friendly competition. Last night, Skater’s Edge (my team) had the privilege of facing off against the League Commissioner’s team, Cleaning Wave, in a playoff game. The game was a rough one, to say the least. It’s worth noting the League ‘does not allow,’ which is to say their rules claim it is illegal, to initiate body contact. The referees began the game calling even the small infractions, which is the way a league needs to be policed. As the game wore on, the refs stopped calling the body contact for the most part, and it spiraled out of control. [Notice the similar theme with my previous blog; the ref losing control of the game, and the players being unprotected].
There is a history behind the incident I am going to describe that is worth noting. A new friend of mine, Brandon, created a ball hockey league for the upcoming summer. Upon seeing his creation, and the areas he could use help in, I joined his executive team. The GSBHL is seeing the newly-formed SBHL (Sudbury [Southend] Ball Hockey League) as a threat to its league. Not only has Brandon been in touch with the GSBHL, but I have posted a link to their website on our Facebook page AND we’ll be playing on a day that allows players to participate in both leagues (we’re a Sunday league; they’re a Tuesday/Thursday league). Also, I have recommended friends to play in the GSBHL in the past, although I would not do so again with the way the League has been going.
The GSBHL’s response to the new league has been hostile, to say the least. I can’t speak to Brandon’s experiences in dealing with their league, but I can speak to my own. A man by the name of Chris Ryan Leblanc posted on the SBHL’s facebook page, representing the GSBHL. I quote, “andy why are you trying to lowball our league why dont you talk to jay and colaborate on one summer season?” I found the lowball comment to be mildly offensive, as I am not the one who created the new league, and had never spoken poorly of the league, or its operating officials either.
I replied, “Chris, I’m not trying to lowblow the GSBHL, and I think your attempt to paint this league that way is offensive. Players can play in both league (look into it; we’re scheduling games on Sundays). Do your research, and don’t start trying to imagine there’s a war going on with the GSBHL. I play in that league, and have enjoyed it.” His response afterwards was vulgur, and was removed from our facebook wall.
This brings us to last night’s game. The incident occurred near the beginning of the third period during a faceoff. First, a player on their team, wearing number 61 (my number in this league also) walked up to me as the play was winding down and elbowed me. I asked him why he would elbow me, and he walked away. I told him it was ridiculous, and he replied “then why don’t you do something about it, 61?” as he walked off to go sit on the bench. On the next faceoff, Chris and I were both out for our teams. He looked at me and said “Why the fuck are you here? Don’t you have your own league to play in?” I explained that I posted a link to this league on our Facebook wall, and I have no problem with this league. He stared at me like a pit-bull reading an astrophysics textbook, and mockingly said, “Sure.”
I paid my registration to play in the GSBHL, I deserve to play my games and not worry about being harassed by a man in his twenties who’s IQ aligns with his age. If his IQ aligned with his weight, he’d be cooking with gas, as the expression goes, but I digress.
My shift ended and I went to the bench. I discussed the exchange with my teammates who felt it was ridiculous. It is worth nothing the League Commissioner heard the exchange, and that Chris is a part of the GSBHL’s executive. What follows is even worse.
My friend Alex is the most prolific scorer on our team, which is widely known. We’re winning 6-3, or something around there, and Alex has the ball deep in their end. Chris pushes Alex and sends him flying to the ground. A scrum ensues with pushing from both teams, and the refs (finally) end the game. The teams part, with some chirping going both ways, when Chris drops a serious threat. He informs Alex that next time he hits him; Alex will not be able to get back up. HE SAYS THIS WHILE STANDING BESIDE THE COMMISSIONER OF THE LEAGUE. No word from Commissioner Jay, and no suspension incoming. No discipline handed out whatsoever.
Let’s just say, that if something happens where Chris injures somebody next game, the League could be held accountable for negligence. Should Chris decide to assault anybody, it would be premeditated assault, obviously. The legal implications of this should not be taken lightly by the League (as it has been so far).
Both teams worked their way back to their goaltenders for the traditional hand-shake following the game, but Chris and their goalie left the rink without shaking hands. Most of Cleaning Wave shook our hands after the game, and played a clean, competitive game. However, some of their players demonstrated terrible sportsmanship, and were downright embarrassing in the way they behaved.
I can understand the role of the agitator in professional sports, even if I find them in a gray area as far as ethics are concerned. In a beer league, they are laughable. It is a shame that sports sometimes attract morons, who have a way of ruining the friendly, competitive nature of sports for the people that play for enjoyment.
Month: April 2010
Social media and post-secondary institutions
I think I know what’s been bothering me lately. I’ve been feeling really anxious to achieve, and implement these enormous plans I keep coming up with. I touched on this anxiety in an earlier post, but now I believe I’ve figured it out.
Last week I attended a strategic planning meeting for Cambrian College’s Alumni Association, and it encompassed the plan for the next three years of the Association. I’ve been on placement with the Association for five weeks so far. In that time, I’ve pitched numerous ideas, and most of them have been short-term. They were accepted with great enthusiasm by my manager Celina. I’ve also pitched many long-term goals, which have been met with great enthusiasm, but have not been put into action.
That is not Celina’s fault by any means. The office staff here is too small. There are four of us, and two of us are placement students. I pitched some of these ideas to upper level management, and got relatively the same response. It all came down to budget and manpower restraints.
One cannot blame the staff here, or some of the management, because they don’t control the budget or manpower. They understand the ideas, and feel they are important, but don’t have the resources. It’s a shame. The main point I tried to raise was about the importance of using social media for a business’ success (yes, post secondary institutions are businesses).
The Alumni Association, but more so the College in general, needs to become a social media force. That’s where their customers (read: students and prospective students) are, and one ALWAYS needs to bring their advertising into contact with their customers. It is critical in today’s advertising world (as Mashable, Conversation Agent, Convince & Convert, and any respectable marketing, PR, or social media website will inform you) that a business reaches out to its customers through a strong social media presence. This is especially true when your target is mostly in the 15-19 year-old range, which if I recall correctly, is one of the most active user groups on social media.
I even tried using strong language (not to be confused with cursing and swearing) to convince Cambrian to get on board. “Laurentian is killing us in social media!” I’ve declared at several different meetings. It’s worth noting that Laurentian University is also in Sudbury, so they are technically one of Cambrian’s strongest rival schools.
All of the idea generating is great, and I love behaving like I’m part of a think-tank. To quote an industry professional I respect, people like me are “ideologues;” we just love generating ideas. When one never gets to watch their ideas soar, it begins to take a toll on one’s morale. I’m really hoping that the next institution I work for (teaser: expect a major announcement next week sometime probably), let’s me spread my wings and test how high I can fly. I’ve got an insane amount of ideas, and I can’t wait to see them come to fruition.
It’s worth recounting a personal story, which I’ve often recited to friends and colleagues. I’ve even recited it in meetings here at the College, concerning how badly Cambrian needs to get into social media. Today at Cambrian’s Journalism Advisory Committee meeting even, one of the individuals in attendance approached me after the meeting, and informed me she wanted to tell this story to others as a great example of how a post-secondary institution could use social media effectively. Here’s the story:
A few months ago, I applied to Algoma University and Laurentian University for Public Administration. I posted about applying in my Facebook status, and within 15 minutes, Laurentian University President Dominic Giroux Facebooked me. He personally invited me back to the University (as I am an alumni), and said they’d love to have me. This personal touch, from the President of the University himself, is an incredible way of encouraging prospective students to attend your school. Customer service isn’t about how well a member of the communications team can spin words anymore. Now customer service is about the whole organization buying in, and when your President buys into this manner of teamwork, your institution ‘gets’ social media.
I present two thumbs up to Dominic, and Laurentian, who honestly seem to understand the sometimes wavy seas of social media, having just launched their social media efforts in full force. Happy sailing Laurentian!
Does it matter?
I’m feeling a bit worn out this morning; is it because the end of the school year approaches? Is it the fact I may be entering into a career soon? Is it about the feeling of losing friends lately, which seems to be weighing on my mind? Is it all the responsibilities I’ve taken on in the last few months, and have committed to? I don’t know.
It’s probably a combination of all of these things and more. Some old feelings of mine have been ignited lately, and some have been extinguished. Who do I miss? Who am I happy to see gone? Who is in the right comfort zone?
Have I lost myself lately? I don’t believe so. I feel like there are more things holding me together. Am I no longer enjoying enough freedom?
Have I been helping people enough lately? Do I do enough in my community? Am I pushing others to reach their potential? Have I been jealous or spiteful of the success of others?
Where is my art? Where are the beautiful blank pages that used to be the dream-catcher for my ideas? Why are they not being filled?
Am I in love? Am I sharing enough of myself with others? Are people sharing enough of themselves with me? Are some people sharing too much of themselves with me? Am I handling too many problems for friends? Is anybody stressing me out? Am I stressing you out?
Am I successful? Am I on my way to some great successes? Or am I on my way to great failure?
Is this stream of consciousness a validation that my life has a purpose, and that I am unique, successful, and intelligent?
Does it matter?
Academic freedom -oxymoron in Canada?
Today I was informed of some very troubling news concerning academic freedom. To a select few, including myself, academic freedom in Canada seems to be a bit of an oxymoron. If you’re comfortable with the world, and don’t care about such petty things as academic freedom, go back to watching your television, chatting on MSN, or playing whatever video game was making your life significant before you came across this nonsense.
First, I want to share two quotes, which I’ve been reminded of by U of O Watch:
“An education obtained with money is worse than no education at all.”
–Socrates
“One knows … that the university and in a general way, all teaching systems, which appear simply to disseminate knowledge, are made to maintain a certain social class in power; and to exclude the instruments of power of another social class. … It seems to me that the real political task in a society such as ours is to criticise the workings of institutions, which appear to be both neutral and independent; to criticise and attack them in such a manner that the political violence which has always exercised itself obscurely through them will be unmasked, so that one can fight against them.” – (Michel) Foucault, debating/agreeing (Noam) Chomsky, 1971.
My thoughts on academic freedom are aligned with those of men such as Dr. Denis Rancourt and Dr. David Noble, who have had to battle through several challenges within the university system. Both of the struggles are still going on, and I encourage you to read about Rancourt and Noble on your own time, but also through those provided links.
The University of Ottawa has a disgraceful track record in terms of their dealings with Dr. Rancourt, and one of his former students Marc Kelly. I have a video to show you that is really quite ironic. Kelly teaching a class about campus corruption, and is arrested. When Rancourt tries reasoning with the officers in charge, he is also arrested under trespassing charges. Here is that video. A google search of ‘marc kelly ottawa’ brings up a host of related videos (if you have Kikin installed, if not click the video tab) about similar run-ins with the U of O security team, and Ottawa police officers.
I bring up the discussion of academic freedom for a direct reason. Today, I received an interesting email from Marc Kelly, which was addressed to the students of the U of O.
Here is a lengthy excerpt of the email:
but if this message fails to reach all of you, probably intercepted and censored by the University, I could stay stuck in a prison cell until early next year after the court case is all cleared. so this is my last chance to explain, in as much detail as i can, why I need each and every one of you to come out and stand by me on thursday
i need each and every one of you to help protect me from the bizzaro university!
if you came out tomorrow, i’d listen to everything you have to say to me too!
i love this world.
i love our society.
i love you if you are my friend.
i love you if you are my enemy
(but I do not love this country)
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On May 14th, 2009, three Ottawa Police Officers were sent to my home apartment by the University. They entered without a warrant, and they arrested me while I was sleeping. I was charged under the Criminal Code of Canada for “speaking directly to” the President of the University, because I asked him a question on March 4th, 2009, during the Q & A of his inaugural lecture series.
YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO OF ME ASKING AN ILLEGAL QUESTION HERE:
fast forward the video, my question starts at 1:11:35
Responsibility to Protect: a Doctrine of Humanity
http://events.onlinebroadcasting.com/uottawa/030409/index.php
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I DO NOT THINK IT IS OKAY THAT IN THIS COUNTRY A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA CAN BE ARRESTED BY THE POLICE AND PUT IN JAIL FOR ASKING A QUESTION
aren’t we not always taught by our professors, “there are no stupid questions” ?
if illegal questions exist, does that mean there are indeed stupid questions too?
if that’s true, then what’s the difference between an illegal question and a stupid question?
Here is an excerpt from my reply:
This news is very troubling, and this case speaks about university education in a very clear light. This story saddens me greatly, and further reinforces my desire to find a better place to further my education outside of Canada. I’m truly anxious to see what unfolds tomorrow, as the authorities will be alerted to this event I imagine, and he will definitely be arrested for trespassing. It is pathetic that a university can arrest him for trespassing when he poses absolutely no threat to anybody on the campus, and has paid his tuition (though he is now expelled). I admire this guy’s stand, but his approach is a little bit off. I’ve realized a number of reasons why his paper was rejected. First, the basis of it doesn’t seem that scientific, despite the formulae present in it (I found a copy of his proposal online – http://sites.google.com/site/marckellyuottawa/test). Secondly, if you check his references you will find U of O’s public enemy number 1 among them – Denis Rancourt. The idea behind the paper seems interesting enough, and I would have thought some individuals in the physics department would have loved to help him with his research.
So far from this email and my provided links we’ve gathered a number of things. First of all, it’s illegal to ask the President of a university a question. Secondly, that academic freedom is not a guarantee in Canada, according to James Turk, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, who suggests he is dealing with at least 25 to 30 cases at the moment. Thirdly, any questioning of the political leanings of a university’s top administrators will find you in the university’s doghouse, or in the case of Dr. Noble, forced to sue the university you work at for defamation.
I am not suggesting that every university in Canada is void of academic freedom, but I am suggesting that universities take a serious look at how free they allow their professors and students to be. Academic freedom SHOULD BE the cornerstone of any proper university education , although that is the ideal and not the reality presently. My experiences at Laurentian were good, but I only did one undergraduate degree there, and was never employed at the institution (so my experience has been admittedly one-sided in all of it).
For more information on all of that is going on at University of Ottawa, please look into this website, U of O Watch.
People should cherish each other more
As I sat in my office at Cambrian, Go West by Anti-Flag came on my iPod. I was in a particularly somber mood this morning, and the lyrics captured my attention:
Like a ghost
Emptiness haunted his years
Still his heart was made of nothing less than good
Insecure narrative in his head
Something less than schizophrenia
Gripping him with every move that he makes
Breath he takes
A beautiful walk alone
To his empty home
Where he’ll lay and he’ll sleep by himself
Loneliness isn’t about a lack of people around you; it’s about a lack of meaningful connections to other people. It’s never been difficult for me to find company, and even now, there have been a lot of people in my life. The problem is that I don’t always feel attached to those people.
I think it comes down to a fundamental difference in our personal philosophies. I differ from most people I know in terms of how I balance work/school and my social life. I am not different in terms of valuing my social life over work/school, but I am different because of the reasons for it. I know quite a few people who don’t care about their work and school, or are too lazy to put in an honest effort with it. I don’t fit into that category generally (we all have our lazy days, obviously).
I put my social life ahead of work/school, because it IS the essence of life. You don’t live to work, you work to live. That is a fundamental philosophical flaw in our society, in my opinion. It seems that most people feel work and/or school is the important part of their life, but this is not true. Of course, your work can be a vital part of your life, especially if you’re doing something that helps other people out, but that’s not where your happiness should stem from. What is life if you have no one to enjoy it with? Nothing.
The issue is that many people, treating work/school as more important than their social life, tend to not make enough time to hang out with their friends and family. This creates a series of problems. First of all, the lack of a meaningful social life is always detrimental to the individual. The biggest problem, however, is that a person’s social relationships suffer. This leads to a series of events that are undesirable. People become “too busy” to spend quality time with one another, leading to a system where people don’t spend as much time as they should amongst one another. This process exaggerates the feelings of isolation and loneliness people feel, and often times leads to an almost xenophobic setting, where people become too busy to meet new contacts and expand their social circles.
I understand life is busy sometimes. My life is ridiculously busy. However, we have to find time to spend amongst our friends and family, and demonstrate that spending time with one another is significant to us, rather than obligatory. I hope that people start to cherish one another more, because life is too short to throw away by focusing solely on work and school.
Andy Veilleux 