Dear
      Editor-In-Chief
      Sean
      Brady,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      am
      writing
      you
      regarding
      the
      article
      "Field
      Hockey's
      Quiet
      Dignity"
      that
      appeared
      in
      the
      Sports
      section
      of
      The
     
     
      Cadre
      last
      week
      (October
      19th,
      2004).
      The
      article
      that
      was
      published
      was
      unfit
      and
      horribly
      written
      for
      three
      main
     
     
      reasons:
      the
      sports
      editor
      had
      no
      business
      personalizing
      his
      feature,
      his
      opinion
      of
      why
      people
      should
      play
      the
     
     
      sport
      was
      irrelevant,
      and
      he
      wrote
      about
      the
      sport
      in
      a
      manner
      that
      diminishes
      it.
      |
      am
      concerned
      that
      you
      would
     
     
      hire
      such
      a
      terrible
      sports
      edit.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      his
      article,
      your
      sports
      editor
      identified
      one
      of
      our
      rookies
      and
      along
      with
      her
      comments,
      added
      his
      personal
     
     
      thoughts
      about
      her.
      Mr.
      Editor,
      please
      tell
      your
      sports
      editor
      to
      save
      his
      "shy
      smiles"
      about
      our
      female
      field
      hock-
     
     
      ey
      athletes,
      unless
      he
      is
      prepared
      to
      go
      into
      the
      locker
      room
      of
      one
      of
      the
      men's
      university
      sports
      teams
      and
      write
     
     
      the
      same
      about
      them.
      |
      am
      sure
      they
      would
      not
      appreciate
      his
      commenting
      on
      their
      cuteness.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Secondly,
      your
      sports
      editor's
      opinion
      of
      why
      people
      should
      play
      field
      hockey
      is
      unrepresentative
      of
      the
      sport
      and
     
     
      irrelevant,
      especially
      when
      his
      sentiments
      do
      not
      apply
      to
      other
      university
      sports.
      With
      his
      article
      on
      the
      U.P.E.L.
     
     
      women's
      field
      hockey
      appearing
      between
      non-opinionated
      features
      on
      the
      men’s
      hockey,
      men's
      volleyball,
      and
     
     
      men's
      and
      women's
      basketball
      teams,
      his
      field
      hockey
      article
      stands
      out
      as
      the
      only
      section
      where
      he
      provides
      his
     
     
      personal
      judgement,
      and
      an
      uneducated
      and
      clumsy
      assessment
      at
      that.
      If
      he
      is
      going
      to
      be
      nonjudgmental
      with
     
     
      other
      university
      sports,
      it
      is
      essential
      he
      be
      consistent
      instead
      of
      presenting
      faultfinding
      material
      on
      one
      specific
     
     
      sport
      or
      sports
      team.
      It
      is
      not
      his
      job
      to
      single
      out
      a
      sport
      and
      provide
      his
      personal
      thoughts.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Thirdly,
      on
      top
      of
      including
      his
      personal
      persuasion
      and
      opinion
      in
      his
      article,
      he
      writes
      about
      the
      sport
      in
      a
      dimin-
     
     
      ishing
      way.
      It
      should
      be
      acknowledged
      that
      it
      is
      right
      in
      saying
      that
      "Field
      hockey
      does
      not
      need
      a
      large
      crowd
      to
     
     
      keep
      the
      players
      pumped
      for
      the
      duration
      of
      the
      game"
      and
      that
      the
      players
      "function
      as
      a
      microcosmic
      crowd
     
     
      themselves,
      with
      communication
      and
      support
      being
      a
      crucial
      element
      for
      a
      winning
      team."
      Many
      sentences
      inside
     
     
      the
      article
      are
      complimentary,
      but
      not
      in
      the
      depreciating
      manner
      he
      writes
      around
      them.
      He
      had
      the
      choice
      of
     
     
      taking
      the
      comments
      in
      the
      interview
      in
      the
      positive
      light
      they
      were
      meant
      for,
      or
      twisting
      them
      to
      suit
      his
      own
     
     
      awkward
      opinion
      of
      the
      sport.
      He
      chose
      the
      latter,
      which
      exemplifies
      his
      poor
      writing
      choice
      and
      ability.
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
      a
      reporter
      at
      The
      Guardian,
      your
      sports
      editor
      is
      normally
      a
      good
      writer,
      but
      on
      this
      occasion,
      he
      let
     
     
      his
      personal
      views
      get
      in
      the
      way
      of
      his
      writing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      am
      embarrassed
      for
      both
      the
      sports
      editor
      and
      yourself
      as
      editor-in-chief
      that
      such
      an
      amateurish
      article
      could
     
     
      be
      published.
      For
      the
      time
      and
      work
      our
      U.P.E.I.
      athletes
      put
      into
      being
      a
      student-athlete,
      each
      player
      and
      sport
     
     
      deserves
      support
      and
      recognition,
      but
      most
      importantly,
      an
      unbiased,
      non-opinionated
      review:
      field
      hockey
      is
      no
     
     
      exception.
      Each
      student-athlete
      and
      team
      is
      worth
      respect,
      and
      receives
      esteem
      from
      all
      over
      the
      country.
      At
      the
     
     
      very
      least,
      we
      can
      expect
      respect
      from
      our
      own
      student
      newspaper.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Additionally,
      the
      next
      time
      your
      sports
      editor
      needs
      pictures
      to
      publish
      for
      the
      U.P.E.I.
      women's
      field
      hockey
     
     
      team,
      please
      inform
      him
      to
      simply
      ask
      myself,
      another
      player,
      the
      Yearbook
      staff,
      or
      to
      check
      the
      U.P.E.
      4.
      web-
     
     
      “~
      instead
      of
      posting
      pictures
      from
      the
      men’s
      German
      National
      team.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      conclusion,
      |
      would
      like
      to
      formally
      invite
      your
      sports
      editor
      to
      U.P.E.1.
      women's
      field
      hockey
      regular
      early
     
     
      morning
      practice
      on
      Friday,
      October,
      29th
      at
      6:00AM
      at
      the
      U_P.E.I.
      Sports
      Centre,
      so
      he
      can
      see
      and
      experience
     
     
      for
      himself
      how
      "quiet"
      our
      athletes,
      coaches
      and
      team
      really
      are.
      Please
      tell
      him
      to
      bring
      his
      sneakers,
      shin-
     
     
      guards
      and
      mouth-guard
      if
      possible.
      Be
      sure
      to
      arrive
      before
      6:15AM,
      we
      lock
      the
      doors.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sincerely,
     
     
      |
      Maureen
      O'Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3-time
      AUS
      All-Star,
      4-time
      Academic
      All-Canadian,
      Captain,
      and
      Sth
      year
      senior
      of
      the
      U.P.E.1.
      Women's
      Field
     
     
      Hockey
      Team
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      W¥Gwss
      wre
      nw
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ites
      everyoris
      w
     
     
      cal
      Studies
      cacy
      inv
     
     
      pect
      watch
      the
      United
      States
      Presidential
     
    
   
   
    
     
      he
      Wave
      on
      the
     
     
      Election
      coverage
      at
      t
     
     
      evening
      of
      Tuesday,
      November
      2nd.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      October
      26,
      2004
      page
      5
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Editor,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      am
      writing
      this
      letter
      in
      response
      to
      Liam
      McKenna’s
      article
     
     
      entitled
      "Field
      Hockey's
      Quiet
      Dignity,”
      in
      the
      fourth
      issue
      of
     
     
      the
      Cadre.
      I'd
      like
      to
      congratulate
      you
      for
      having
      the
      insight
     
     
      to
      print
      such
      a
      wonderful
      piece
      of
      journalism.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I'm
      sure
      UPEI
      students
      and
      Cadre
      readers
      were
      thrilled
      to
     
     
      learn
      that
      your
      paper's
      sports
      writer
      finds
      it
      fitting
      to
      write
      a
     
     
      self-indulgent
      opinion
      based
      article
      attacking
      the
      legitimacy
     
     
      of
      field
      hockey
      as
      a
      sport
      -
      A
      sport
      which
      is
      known
      as
      the
      old-
     
     
      est
      of
      all
      games
      using
      a
      stick
      and
      ball
      ~
      A
      sport
      which
      is
      cred-
     
     
      ited
      as
      being
      one
      of
      the
      first
      to
      allow
      women
      to
      compete
      ~
      And
     
     
      a
      sport
      which
      has
      been
      included
      in
      the
      Olympic
      games
      since
     
     
      1908.
      The
      Arabs,
      Greeks,
      Persians,
      and
      Romans
      all
      played
     
     
      versions
      of
      field
      hockey.
      But
      hey,
      what
      did
      they
      know?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      his
      brilliant
      account,
      Mr.
      McKenna
      states,
      "It
      is
      a
      quiet
     
     
      sport,
      one
      not
      prone
      to
      massive
      publicity
      or
      huge
      crowds.”
     
     
      This
      statement
      couldn't
      be
      further
      from
      the
      truth.
      Worldwide,
     
     
      field
      hockey
      is
      one
      of
      the
      most
      popular
      spectator
      sports.
      Here
     
     
      at
      UPEI
      field
      hockey
      does
      seem
      to
      lack
      attention...
      Perhaps
     
     
      this
      is
      because
      the
      Cadre's
      (sarcastic
      cough)
      "Sports
      Editor"
     
     
      saw
      it
      fit
      to
      take
      the
      time
      to
      mention
      our
      "quiet"
      team
      only
     
     
      after
      all
      our
      home
      games
      had
      been
      played.
      Despite
      this
      lack
     
     
      of
      attention,
      our
      games
      were
      attended
      by
      UPEI
      students,
      non-
     
     
      students,
      and
      people
      who
      just
      have
      a
      love
      for
      the
      game.
     
     
      Though,
      come
      to
      think
      of
      it,
      I
      didn't
      see
      any
      sign
      of
      our
     
     
      beloved
      "Sports
      Editor."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mr.
      McKenna
      went
      on
      to
      argue
      that,
      "It
      [field
      hockey]
      does-
     
     
      n't
      boast
      the
      speed
      of
      ice
      hockey,
      nor
      does
      it
      possess
      the
     
     
      rugged
      physical
      game
      of
      rugby;
      it
      can't
      claim
      the
      finesse
      of
     
     
      soccer,
      or
      the
      strategy
      of
      baseball.
      For
      that
      matter,
      field
      hock-
     
     
      ey
      can't
      even
      claim
      to
      have
      the
      chaos
      of
      dodgeball.
      Why
     
     
      would
      anyone
      ever
      want
      to
      watch
      this
      sport,
      let
      alone
      play
      it?"
     
     
      So
      why
      would
      anyone
      want
      to
      play
      field
      hockey?
      Perhaps
      you
     
     
      should
      talk
      to
      Ambyr
      Gallant
      or
      Kirsten
      Currie,
      two
      former
     
     
      winners
      of
      UPEI's
      Athlete
      of
      the
      Year
      Award...
      And
      field
      hock-
     
     
      ey
      players.
      Or
      you
      could
      speak
      with
      the
      numerous
      All-
     
     
      Canadian,
      AUS
      All-Star,
      and
      individual
      field
      hockey
      award
     
     
      winners,
      who
      have
      emerged
      from
      UPEI's
      program.
     
    

    
     
      In
      a
      year
      which
      saw
      our
      funding
      cut
      by
      the
      UPEI
      athletic
     
     
      department
      —
      a
      year
      in
      which
      we
      had
      to
      fight
      tooth
      and
      nail
      to
     
     
      keep
      our
      AUS
      status
      —
      our
      team
      cannot
      express
      how
      pleased
     
     
      we
      are
      that
      we
      have
      the
      support
      of
      the
      Cadre's
      sports
      depart-
     
     
      ment.
      Keep
      up
      the
      superb
      work.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      And
      that
      my
      friends,
      is
      what
      we
      call
      sarcasm.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chelsey
      MacLellan
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘||
      Proud
      member
      of
      the
      UPEI
      field
      hockey
      team
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      http://www,
      For
      follow-up,
      see
      “Causing
      a
      Stir”
      on
      page
      17