Forum
     
     
      continued
      from
      page
      5
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      watching
      films,
      talking,
     
     
      becoming
      more
      of
      a
     
     
      team,
      because
      you
      did
     
     
      not
      have
      to
      be
      there,
      but
     
     
      you
      wanted
      to
      be.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      6)
      Increased
      Presence
     
     
      From
      the
      Members
      of
      the
     
     
      AD
      and
      the
      Executive
      Staff
     
     
      of
      the
      University
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      is
      a
      solution
      that
     
     
      requires
      no
      increased
     
     
      investment
      -
      save
      time.
      A
     
     
      basketball
      player
      recounted
     
     
      the
      pride
      of
      watching
     
     
      former
      President
      Willy
     
     
      Elliot
      sitting
      in
      the
      front
     
     
      row,
      and
      the
      rush
      to
      play
     
     
      well
      in
      front
      ofhim.
      The
     
     
      current
      president,
      as
      far
      as
     
     
      we
      know,
      has
      been
      to
      one
     
     
      game
      this
      year.
      A
      member
     
     
      of
      the
      Rugby
      team
      sounded
     
     
      amazed
      that
      though
      a
     
     
      member
      of
      the
      AD
      is
     
     
      heavily
      involved
      with
      the
     
     
      CIAU
      rugby
      administra-
     
     
      tion,
      he
      had
      not
      seen
      one
      of
     
     
      their
      games.
      A
      member
      of
     
     
      the
      basketball
      teams
      said
     
     
      this:
     
    

    
     
      “The
      only
      time
      we
     
     
      see
      the
      Athletic
      Director
     
     
      is
      when
      she
      tells
      us
      not
      to
     
     
      go
      overboard
      on
      rookie
     
     
      night.”
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      the
      easiest,
     
     
      and
      therefore
      the
      most
     
     
      baffling
      problem
      of
      them
     
     
      all.
      A
      university
      is
      made
      of
     
     
      all
      the
      people
      inside
      it
      and
     
     
      while
      we
      put
      the
      burden
     
     
      on
      students
      to
      support
      our
     
     
      teams,
      surely
      we
      must
      ask
     
     
      the
      same,
      if
      not
      more,
      from
     
     
      our
      administration.
     
    

    
     
      The
      President,
      the
      Athletic
     
     
      Director
      and
      all
      the
      mem-
     
     
      bers
      of
      the
      AD
      staff
      should
     
     
      heed
      this
      wake
      up
      call.
      Go
     
     
      to
      the
      games,
      support
      your
     
     
      teams,
      the
      return
      will
      be
     
     
      tenfold.
      If,
      indeed,
      ‘paths
     
     
      are
      made
      by
      walking’
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Wade
      MacLauchlan
      likes
     
     
      to
      say,
      then
      ladies
      and
     
     
      gentlemen
      cut
      yourself
      a
     
     
      path
      to
      the
      Field
      House
     
     
      (and
      to
      the
      Civic
      Centre
     
     
      and
      the
      playing
      fields)
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      make
      yourselfa
      presence.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7)
      Compose
      a
      Student-
     
     
      Athlete
      Steering
     
     
      Committee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      need
      for
      some
      sort
      of
     
     
      student
      athlete
      steering
     
     
      committee
      is
      obvious
     
     
      when
      one
      listens
      to
      ath-
     
     
      letes
      who
      can
      speak
      freely
     
     
      and
      who
      all
      genuinely
      care
     
     
      about
      the
      fates
      of
      their
     
     
      programs
      and
      the
      AD
     
     
      (and
      indeed
      UPE])
      in
     
     
      general.
      This
      would
     
     
      provide
      a
      valuable
      unbi-
     
     
      ased
      outlet
      for
      athletes
      to
     
     
      vet
      their
      interests.
      It
      would
     
     
      also
      serve
      as
      a
      way
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      on
      track).
      The
      student-
     
     
      athlete
      (athlete-student)
     
     
      that
      receives
      support
      is
     
     
      one
      who
      is
      better
     
     
      equipped
      to
      handle
      the
     
     
      pressures,
      and
      the
      time
     
     
      commitment
      required
      to
     
     
      balance
      school
      and
      sport.
     
     
      This
      is
      not
      to
      say
      that
      we
     
     
      bemoan
      the
      plight
      of
      the
     
     
      poor
      athlete.
      A
      member
     
     
      of
      the
      hockey
      team
      could
     
     
      offer
      nothing
      but
      praise
     
     
      for
      the
      way
      he
      was
     
     
      treated,
      especially
      in
      the
     
     
      light
      of
      the
      fact
      that
      the
     
     
      team
      has
      such
      a
      poor
     
     
      record.
      Again,
      this
      rec-
     
     
      ommendation
      is
      not
     
     
      intended
      to
      further
      raise
     
     
      the
      athlete
      above
      the
     
     
      common
      student
      but
      to
     
     
      rather
      note
      that
      being
      a
     
     
      varsity
      athlete
      is
      different,
     
     
      and
      we
      should
      have
      pride
     
     
      in
      helping
      our
      teams
      win,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      athletic
      department
      to
     
     
      have
      a
      greater
      awareness
     
     
      of
      athletes’
      concerns.
     
     
      Obviously,
      this
      is
      presently
     
     
      lacking
      and
      highlights
      the
     
     
      greatest
      problem
      of
      all-
     
     
      care
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      does
      not
      need
      to
      be
     
     
      done
      outside
      the
      university
     
     
      but
      rather
      could
      be
      a
      team
     
     
      of
      volunteer
      professors
     
     
      (we
      asked
      three
      just
      for
     
     
      fun,
      and
      they
      all
      said
      they
     
     
      would
      be
      interested
      in
     
     
      helping
      the
      AD
      get
      back
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      just
      as
      we
      should
      have
     
     
      pride
      in
      every
      group
      that
     
     
      represents
      this
      university,
     
     
      the
      Varsity
      teams
      simply
     
     
      represent
      it
      in
      the
      most
     
     
      public
      of
      ways.
      One
     
     
      would
      think
      with
      the
      talk
     
     
      of
      the
      “Brain
      Gain”
      the
     
     
      university
      would
      see
     
     
      athletics
      as
      a
      simple
      way
     
     
      to
      raise
      the
      school’s
     
     
      profile,
      and
      increase
     
     
      interest
      both
      in
      and
      out
      of
     
     
      the
      province.
     
    

    
     
      These
      are
      some
     
     
      suggestions
      to
      improve
     
     
      things.
      From
      all
      the
      ath-
     
     
      letes
      gathered
      one
      could
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sense
      how
      losing
      grates
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      these
      people.
      Nobody
     
     
      likes
      it.
      But
      when
      there
     
     
      concerns
      start
      drifting
     
     
      away
      from
      performance
      to
     
     
      other
      aspects
      then
      there
     
     
      are
      some
      fundamental
     
     
      things
      wrong.
      These
     
     
      people
      want
      to
      do
      better
     
     
      and
      we
      sense
      they
      can
      do
     
     
      better
      if
      some
      things
      are
     
     
      improved
      upon.
      Whether
     
     
      itcan
      be
      done
      under
      the
     
     
      present
      direction
      of
      the
     
     
      AD
      is
      questionable.
      The
     
     
      sense
      from
      some
      athletes
     
     
      was
      that
      they
      were
      not
      to
     
     
      sure
      how
      supportive
      the
     
     
      AD
      is.
      Some
      sports
      were
     
     
      flat
      out
      told
      to
      be
      lucky
      to
     
     
      have
      what
      they
      have
      and
     
     
      to
      not
      expect
      any
      im-
     
     
      provement
      on
      conditions.
     
     
      It
      is
      this
      type
      of
      attitude
     
     
      which
      perpetuates
      the
     
     
      conditions
      as
      they
      exist
     
     
      now.
      Would
      a
      change
      lead
     
     
      to
      improvement?
      That
      is
     
     
      difficult
      to
      speculate
      on
     
     
      however
      we
      see
      that
      some
     
     
      accountability
      must
      lie
      with
     
     
      the
      head
      of
      the
      AD,
      how
     
     
      much
      is
      hard
      to
      say.
      A
     
     
      member
      of
      the
      basketball
     
     
      team
      put
      it
      well:
     
    

    
     
      “Tt
      is
      not
      necessarily
      a
     
     
      change
      of
      the
      Athletic
     
     
      Director,
      or
      a
      change
      in
     
     
      the
      Athletic
      Department
     
     
      personnel,
      as
      much
      as
      it
     
     
      is
      a
      change
      in
      philoso-
     
     
      phy.”
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      not
      so
      much
      an
     
     
      investment
      in
      dollars
      as
     
     
      much
      as
      it
      is
      an
      investment
     
     
      of
      time
      and
      of
      passion.
      In
     
     
      the
      mid-eighties,
      early-
     
     
      nineties
      UPEI
      was
      one
      of
     
     
      the
      powers
      of
      the
      AUAA.
     
     
      Now,
      nearly
      across
      the
     
     
      board,
      teams
      are
      losing
      at
     
     
      arecord
      pace.
      The
      once
     
     
      mighty
      hockey
      program
     
     
      appears
      in
      complete
     
     
      shambles
      as
      rumors
      and
     
     
      innuendoes
      float
      all
      around
     
     
      campus,
      even
      down
      to
     
     
      The
      Cadre.
      Leadership
     
     
      must
      be
      strong
      in
      times
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      crisis,
      and
      make
      no
      mis-
     
     
      take
      about
      it,
      we
      are
      in
      the
     
     
      land
      of
      athletic
      crisis.
     
     
      Leadership
      is
      from
      the
      top
     
     
      down
      and
      presently,
      it
      is
     
     
      lacking.
      Can
      the
      AD
      turn
     
     
      the
      ship
      around?
      One
     
     
      sensed
      skepticism
      from
     
     
      the
      athletes
      when
      con-
     
     
      fronted
      by
      the
      question.
     
     
      The
      Forum
      did
     
     
      serve
      to
      create
      a
      greater
     
     
      sense
      of
      community
     
     
      among
      the
      athletes
      and
     
     
      was
      revelatory
      to
      all
      who
     
     
      attended.
      It
      should
      not
     
     
      have
      been
      the
      Cadre
      who
     
     
      founded
      a
      forum
      like
      this
     
     
      but
      we
      are
      indeed
      glad
      we
     
     
      did.
      We
      invite
      any
      re-
     
     
      sponse
      from
      all
      areas
      of
     
     
      the
      university
      and
      wel-
     
     
      come
      any
      further
      sugges-
     
     
      tions
      on
      how
      to
      improve
     
     
      things.
      This
      Forum,
      is,
     
     
      after
      all,
      an
      exercise
      in
     
     
      how
      to
      create
      positive
     
     
      change
      in
      an
      area
      that
     
     
      desperately
      needs
      it.
      We
     
    
   
   
    
     
      are
      not
      privy
      to
      the
      AD’s
     
     
      books
      and
      we
      are
      sure
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      are
      stretched
      as
      much
     
     
      as
      any
      area
      of
      the
      school.
     
     
      But
      we
      are
      not
      proposing
     
     
      a
      major
      capital
      investment.
     
     
      The
      Cadre
      welcomes
      any
     
     
      and
      all
      members
      from
      the
     
     
      AD
      or
      the
      Executive
      of
      the
     
     
      University
      to
      respond,
      and
     
     
      we
      shall
      give
      them
      ample
     
     
      space
      to
      do
      so.
     
    

    
     
      Let
      us
      hope
      that
     
     
      this
      serves
      as
      a
      positive
     
     
      exercise
      in
      discovering
      the
     
     
      new
      glory
      years
      for
      UPEI
     
     
      sports
      which
      will
      no
      doubt
     
     
      foster
      a
      sense
      of
      spirit
      and
     
     
      a
      reduction
      of
      apathy,
      that
     
     
      seems
      to
      be
      the
      constant
     
     
      complaint
      about
      the
     
     
      student
      body.
      After
      all,
     
     
      the
      goal
      is
      to
      have
      the
      best
     
     
      varsity
      athletics
      in
      the
     
     
      Atlantic,
      andhavethose
     
     
      athletics
      add
      to
      the
      quality
     
     
      of
      university
      life-
      not
     
     
      subtract
      from
      it-
      which
      is
     
     
      the
      present
      situation.
      fo