Dodge
      Through
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      every
      action
      there
      is
      a
     
     
      reaction.
      Sometimes
      the
      "reaction"
      is
     
     
      minute
      and
      only
      makes
      a
      small
      ripple
     
     
      on
      the
      surface
      of
      our
      world,
      but
      every
     
     
      so
      often
      the
      tremor
      sweeps
      the
      nation
     
     
      in
      a
      wave
      of
      revolution.
      These
      "reac-
     
     
      tions"
      can
      range
      from
      horrendously
     
     
      horrible
      results
      such
      as
      the
      assassina-
     
     
      tion
      of
      the
      Austrian
      archduke
      which
     
     
      triggered
      World
      War
      One.
      Other
      times
     
     
      they
      are
      solely
      a
      benevolent
      force
      like
     
     
      the
      Brit-Pop
      invasion
      in
      the
      60's
      which
     
     
      brought
      music
      such
      as
      the
      Beatles
      and
     
     
      the
      Rolling
      Stones
      to
      North
      America.
     
     
      The
      common
      ground
      that
      ties
      many
      of
     
     
      these
      "reactions"
      together
      is
      the
      fact
     
     
      that
      the
      catalysts
      don't
      always
      realize
      _
     
     
      their
      role
      in
      fate's
      tapestry..
      When
      the
     
     
      Beatles
      started
      as
      a
      rebellious
      rock
     
     
      group
      doing
      small
      shows
      in
      Hamburg,
     
     
      Germany
      they
      had
      no
      inkling
      of
      the
     
     
      kind
      of
      tidal
      wave
      they
      would
      make
      in
     
     
      the
      musical
      world.
      Every
      avalanche
     
     
      starts
      with
      just
      a
      few
      pebbles
      just
      as
     
     
      every
      cultural
      movement
      starts
      with
      a
     
     
      vision.
     
    

    
     
      Think
      of
      a
      future
      when
     
     
      your
      kids
      will
      run
      home
     
     
      excited
      because
      they
     
     
      made
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Dodgeball
      team.
      We'll
      be
     
     
      able
      to
      sit
      them
      down
     
     
      and
      tell
      them
      the
      tale
      of
     
     
      hardship,
      perseverance
     
     
      and
      gads
      of
      fun.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jt
      all
      began
      with
      a
      conversa-
     
     
      tion.
      Within
      this
      conversation
      there
     
     
      contained
      an
      idea.
      An
      idea
      of
      epic
     
     
      potential
      that
      was
      never
      imagined
      by
     
     
      the
      four
      young
      students
      .
      A
      week
      prior
     
     
      to
      this
      conversation
      these
      4
      fellows
     
     
      were
      participating
      in
      an
      annual
      compe-
     
     
      tition
      between
      the
      actors
      of
      the
     
     
      Charlottetown
      festival
      and
      the
     
     
      Confederation
      players.
      Joey
      Weale,
     
     
      Mattieu
      Arsenault,
      Brodie
      MacRae,
     
     
      and
      myself
      were
      involved
      in
      this
      com-
     
     
      petition,
      just
      as
      we
      were
      the
      year
     
     
      before.
      It
      was
      a
      competition
      of
      skill,
     
     
      wits,
      bravery,
      and
      heart.
      The
      game
     
     
      was
      Dodgeball.
      Yes,
      the
      game
      that
      we
     
     
      all
      played
      in
      elementary
      school.
      It
      was
     
     
      the
      game
      that
      was
      usurped
      by
      "real"
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cs
      ee
      ee
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sports
      such
      as
      soccer
      or
      hockey
      once
     
     
      we
      hit
      junior
      high.
      But
      we
      all
      knew
      in
     
     
      our
      hearts
      how
      dodge
      ball
      would
      never
     
     
      die.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      conversation
      that
      I
      men-
     
     
      tioned
      earlier
      took
      place
      at
      my
      house
     
     
      during
      a
      BBQ
      held
      by
      my
      sister.
      Mr.
     
     
      Weale,
      Mr.
      Arsenault,
      and
      myself
     
     
      where
      enjoying
      the
      food
      while
      con-
     
     
      vincing
      the
      guests
      that
      my
      dog's
      jerky
     
     
      treats
      were
      the
      best
      beef
      jerky
      in
      town.
     
     
      That
      is
      when
      the
      conversation
      in
      ques-
     
     
      tion,
      the
      one
      that
      would
      soon
      be
     
     
      known
      to
      have
      been
      the
      catalyst
      for
      an
     
     
      event
      of
      epic
      proportions,
      started.
      It
     
     
      began
      by
      discussing
      the
      war
      waged
      on
     
     
      the
      court
      the
      week
      prior.
      We
      started
      to
     
     
      realize
      the
      pure
      essence
      that
      this
      game
     
     
      contained
      and
      its
      prospective
      healing
     
     
      properties.
      That
      is
      when
      the
      epiphany
     
     
      hit
      us
      in
      such
      a
      way
      that
      it
      couldn't
      be
     
     
      chained
      back
      any
      longer.
      It
      was
      time
      to
     
     
      take
      this
      game
      onto
      the
      court
      for
      good.
     
     
      At
      this
      point
      in
      the
      eruption
      of
      ideas,
     
     
      Brodie
      came
      into
      the
      conversation
      full
     
     
      force.
      He
      was
      dumbstruck
      by
      such
      a
     
     
      revelation
      and
      the
      four
      realized
      what
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      they
      must
      do.
      Suddenly
      we
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
      brought
      down
      from
      our
      higher
      plane
      of
     
     
      enlightenment
      by
      the
      realization
      of
     
     
      what
      kind
      of
      planning
      it
      would
      take
      to
     
     
      pull
      this
      massive
      event
      off.
     
    

    
     
      We
      let
      the
      summer
      run
      its
     
     
      course,
      unsure
      of
      our
      vision's
      foggy
     
     
      future.
      Nonetheless,
      we
      held
      our
      heads
     
     
      high
      and
      hoped
      for
      the
      best.
     
    

    
     
      -
      When
      the
      new
      school
      year
     
    
   
   
    
     
      started
      it
      had
      been
      some
      time
      since
      the
     
     
      four
      had
      talked.
      Mattieu
      had
      parted
     
     
      company
      with
      the
      group
      and
      returned
     
     
      to
      his
      schooling
      in
      Quebec
      where
      he
      is
     
     
      rumoured
      to
      be
      spreading
      the
      word
      of
     
     
      dodgeball.
      Joey
      and
      Brodie
      came
      to
     
     
      continue
      there
      pursuits
      of
      knowledge,
     
     
      while
      I
      came
      here
      to
      start
      my
      journey
     
     
      of
      costly
      courses
      and
      seemingly
      worth-
     
     
      less
      degrees.
      I
      had
      come
      to
      believe
      that
     
     
      our
      idea
      would
      not
      prevail
      and
      that
      it
     
     
      would
      be
      left
      to
      rot
      in
      the
      recesses
      of
     
     
      our
      minds.
      But
      I
      was
      utterly
      mistaken.
     
     
      I
      ran
      into
      Joe
      in
      the
      New
      Student
     
     
      Centre
      about
      a
      week
      into
      school.
      He
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘presented
      the
      fact
      that
      he
      had
      talked
      to
     
     
      -
      the
      gym
      and
      all
      we
      needed
      to
      do
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      set
      a
      day
      and
      time.
      He
      had
      thrown
      the
     
     
      few
      pebbles
      that
      were
      needed
      to
      get
     
     
      the
      avalanche
      rolling.
      After
      that
      it
      was
     
     
      a
      landslide
      of
      activity
      and
      the
      quiet
     
     
      murmurs
      of
      a
      possible
      "Dodgeball
     
     
      Club"
      turned
      into
      the
      deafening
      roar
     
     
      that
      we
      hear
      today.
      Joe
      made
      and
      post-
     
     
      ed
      posters
      at
      many
      hotspots.
      He
      enlist-
     
     
      ed
      the
      aid
      of
      many
      to
      spread
      his
      word
     
     
      across
      the
      campus.
      Everything
      was
     
     
      coming
      together.
      Joe
      was
      a
      beacon
      of
     
     
      light
      for
      an
      oppressed
      game
      that
      many
     
     
      neglected
      since
      leaving
      elementary
     
     
      school.
      '
     
     
      The
      first
      night
      was
      a
      time
      of
     
     
      high
      tension
      for
      the
      club's
      first
      mem-
     
     
      bers.
      The
      possibility
      of
      failure
      still
     
     
      reared
      its
      ugly
      head
      in
      our
      minds.
      We
     
     
      came
      to
      the
      gym
      ready
      to
      play
      a
      6
      per-
     
     
      son
      game
      for
      we
      feared
      that
      the
      gener-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Troubles
      of
      Your
      Life
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Dan
      MacRAE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ation
      of
      today
      might
      not
      be
      ready
      for
     
     
      such
      a
      cultural
      revolution.
      Our
      fears
     
     
      were
      obliterated
      once
      we
      witnessed
      the
     
     
      first
      of
      many
      to
      start
      flocking
      towards
     
     
      the
      court
      of
      enlightenment.
      We
      pre-
     
     
      pared
      ourselves
      for
      a
      night
      of
      therapeu-
     
     
      tic
      combat.
      And
      such
      a
      night
      was
      had.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Since
      our
      idea's
      birth
      into
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      world
      and
      its
      glorious
      acceptance
      by
     
     
      our
      society,
      we've
      pushed
      our
      move-
     
     
      ment
      to
      achieve
      new
      territory
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      attain
      a
      state
      of
      cosmic
      significance
     
     
      that
      has
      never
      been
      attained
      before.
      I
     
     
      managed
      to
      chat
      with
      the
      initiator
     
     
      about
      the
      game.
      Joey
      Weale
      was
      the
     
     
      one
      who
      carried
      and
      nurtured
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      proverbial
      baby
      into
      the
      adolescent
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stage
      that
      it
      now
      embodies.
     
     
      "Dodgeball
      is
      a
      powerful
     
    
   
   
    
     
      metaphor
      for
      life.
      Just
      as
      in
      life
      some-
     
     
      times
      you
      need
      to
      run
      away
      from
      your
     
    
   
   
    
     
      problems,
      or
      "dodge"
      them.
      Other
     
     
      times
      you
      need
      to
      turn
      and
      face
      your
     
     
      fears,
      catch
      the
      problem,
      and
      throw
      it
     
     
      at
      your
      enemies.
      And
      also,
      just
      as
      in
     
     
      real
      life
      sometimes
      people
      go
      to
      jail.
     
     
      But
      just
      like
      in
      real
      life
      you
      can
      get
      out
     
     
      of
      jail
      by
      throwing
      balls
      at
      your
      cap-
     
     
      tors.
      So,
      you
      see,
      it's
      a
      very
      powerful
     
     
      metaphor."
     
    

    
     
      He
      and
      many
      others
      will
      help
      it
     
    
   
   
    
     
      blossom
      into
      full
      adulthood
      and
      last
      for
     
     
      generations
      to
      come.
      Think
      of
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      future
      when
      your
      kids
      will
      run
      home
     
     
      excited
      because
      they
      made
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Dodgeball
      team.
      We'll
      be
      able
      to
      sit
     
     
      them
      down
      and
      tell
      them
      the
      tale
      of
     
     
      hardship,
      perseverance
      and
      gads
      of
     
    

    
     
      fun.
      This
      event
      takes
      place
      from
      6-8
      on
      »
     
     
      sundays
      at
      the
      Panther
      gym.
     
    

    
     
      It's
      been
      said
      that
      everybody
     
     
      who's
      anybody
      comes
      to
      Dodgeball,
     
     
      and
      frankly,
      you
      are
      anybody.
     
     
      "Somewhere
      beyond
      right
      doing
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wrong
      doing
      there
      is
      a
      Dodgeball
     
    
   
   
    
     
      court.
      Come
      join
      us
      there."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dodge
      Ball
      takes
     
     
      place
      in
      the
      gym
      on:
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Sundays
     
     
      -6pm
      to
      8pm
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyone
      welcome!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [15]
     
     
      (8T]