How the NBA Can Save the Dunk Contest

The NBA Dunk Competition, a monumental event with a spectacular history of creativity, is playing center stage this coming Friday in the City of Lights. The question, however, is whether it will be able to live up to the hype of the almost distant past or whether it will once again fall short of adding another chapter to the legacy.

Last year, Nate Robinson beat out Andre Iguodala in an awkward finale which made the fans almost as embarrassed as lil’ Nate should have been. There were some nice displays of creativity, though, with Robinson eventually finishing off with the double-between-the-legs pass off-the-backboard alley-oop dunk (on his 953rd attempt).

Most thought, though, that Iguodala put on the best display of athleticism by ducking the backboard for an alley-oop reverse, throwing down a bounce pass alley-oop behind-the-back dunk, and putting it between the legs both ways on separate attempts to prove he’s more than just one-dimensional.

The problem with the dunk comp these days, however, isn’t that the players can’t put on an amazing show. The problem is that there are players that could put on an even better show. This year, one could argue, the judges are more capable dunker’s than the contestants themselves.

No disrespect to Gerald Green, Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson, and Tyrus Thomas — it’s not their fault that the NBA chose such prestigious judges for the big show.

The judges for the event are Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, and Dominique Wilkins.

When will NBA fans ever get to see Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter square off? When will we get to see LeBron James even compete? How about throwing in Ricky Davis, Steve Francis, Kevin Garnett, or Tracy McGrady? It would even be nice to see James White participate for the first time; a man known for his ability to do pretty much any dunk while also taking off from the free-throw line. Okay, I guess it’s all right if the NBA saves his show for when he’s actually getting playing time in the Association, but fans everywhere can hardly wait to see what he’d have prepared.

The problem with the NBA Dunk Competition isn’t that the players can’t do enough, it’s simply that they aren’t going against the best of the best. The stars of the NBA seemingly want nothing to do with the event other than judging or watching it.

It would be completely fine to have this years contestants all participate if they were going up against a few of the elite. If one of these four emerge from this year’s battle, then they’re okay, but if they took on four more of the best, they could be great.

Gerald Green has been saying that he has something up his sleeve that will shock the unshockable. His teammate Tony Allen professed to ESPN that if it is successful, it will go down as “one of the top 10 in history.” Dwight Howard has supposedly kissed the rim a few times in practice, and Nate Robinson is still short and still allowed to take two minutes to make a successful attempt.

Tyrus Thomas, on the other hand, states that he is, according to the Chicago Tribune, “just going to go out there, get my check and call it a day.”

Profound.

The winning contestant gets $35,000, while second place receives $22,500. Third- and fourth-place finishers end up with $16,125 apiece.

The event will still, undoubtedly, be an amazing show. We all know that they can dunk with creativity and know that they will, regardless of their motives. Thomas won’t want to be booed off of the Vegas center-stage and might even have just been downplaying the event (while in the meantime earning a $10,000 fine by the Bulls for his comments) in order to surprise. All four contestants will come out firing, but the winner will never be proclaimed the best dunker in the NBA, simply because there are too many amazing athletes left off of the entrants list.

The NBA should adopt a six- or eight-player event in which three or four of the competitors are high-flying youngsters and the rest are the big-name players that everybody wants to see. Not only would it add a bang to the event, but it would also continue to allow the NBA to market it’s youth movement.

Next year, I want to see Kobe in his 1997 form, Vinsanity upping what he did in 2000, and King James throwing it down with the new kids on the block. Let’s see if the young guns can really prove themselves against the fiercest competition.

Let’s make this dunk competition all about being the best — of the best.

—–This article was originally published on February 9, 2007 at Sports Central—–

Representing CUC

When push comes to shove, these guys get the job done.

The men’s CUC soccer team has started the season with four wins and only one loss, something that many would not have expected a year ago. It’s not that people thought that there wasn’t any soccer talent at this school, it’s the simple fact that CUC hasn’t had a soccer team since 2003 – and even then they weren’t in an official league.

However, soccer is back – thanks in part to huge efforts made by Stefan Sremac and Tyler Ferguson. Tyler continually pleaded with Mr. Schafer to make it happen. “I told him that I’d find the players if there weren’t enough.”

Putting together extramural sports teams has always been a difficult thing for this school. Not only is it hard to guarantee that there will be enough athletes on such a small campus, but it is also difficult to find athletes that are willing to commit to the program and all the time it requires. This group of guys, however, made it clear that they were willing to do what it takes to have a team.

Mr. Schafer heard their cries and put in the final effort to make it happen, something that Alastair Atherton, coach of the Aurora, feels will really benefit the school. “It’s another opportunity to provide something positive for the students outside of classes and the usual college life. More than that, it’s an opportunity to represent CUC in our community.”

Every Wednesday morning at 6:00am, the guys are not only up – but participating in a two hour long full-fledged practice. Coach Alastair is really proud of how well the team has come together. “We have a lot of top notch players that have really jelled.”

With such a hot start, hopes are high – and everything indicates that this group is willing to meet the expectations that have been put on their shoulders. Stefan, the leading scorer through five games, plans on nothing but success. “Honestly, our expectations are to win – to be the top of tier two.” And what exactly does this success mean to the school? “Well,” Stefan added, “it brings school pride.”

The men’s soccer team has been an outstanding program for the college life and a great representation of what we want our school to stand for: commitment, sportsmanship, and success.

With the sports teams leading the way, there are signs of excellence coming out from all areas of our hilltop campus. “And, since most of us are returning,” comments Ferguson, “the following years will only get better.” Let’s hope that the school’s future can parallel that of our soccer team and raise our college to new heights – heights that are only possible when everybody is willing to do their part.

—–This article was originally published December 2006 in The Aurora Chronicles—–

Adventures of the Mustached Man

When you are drafted third overall solely based on your ability to shoot the lights out, you’d think that you would be able to do just that. Adam Morrison, however, has proven to be one of the most inconsistent shooters in the NBA thus far in his rookie year.

While other rookies have certainly not been ripping it up on the court, they also haven’t been ripping up chances for their teams to make the playoffs. Morrison, because of the fact that he’s been playing the most minutes of all the rookies (33 mpg), has had the most impact on his team’s performance on the court. While he leads the rookie class in scoring per game, he is far from efficient when compared to other rookie young guns that have seen consistent minutes on the court, such as Brandon Roy or Jorge Garbajosa (taking the term “young guns” very loosely).

Brandon Roy has been shooting almost 42% from the field while playing a very similar role to that of Morrison — scoring. Garbajosa has also been relied on for shots aplenty, hitting just under 44%. Morrison, on the other hand, is chucking up 14 shots per game at a much less effective rate, making less than 37% of his shots.

The Charlotte Bobcats are a team that is struggling to score. They are ranked 23rd in the league with just over 94 points per game while shooting a league-worst 43% from the field. Morrison is the worst offender of the Bobcats’ starters and has, arguably, the worst shot selection in the entire league for players who take over 10 shots per game.

The fact is this: Morrison is a great shooter who can get hot at any time, but when he’s not hitting his shots, he simply doesn’t let up. He’s a trigger-happy three-ball launcher who satisfies his itch to shoot much more often than he satisfies the scoreboard. His games can be downright decent. I was going to say “spectacular,” but he’s only had three games where he has shot over 50%. Looking at his stat line can be confusing. One night he’s the second coming of Larry Bird and the next he’s Antoine Walker’s apprentice.

Morrison has had five one-for games in the month of December. Four of them were in a row. The lines read this: 1-for-5, 1-for-10, 1-for-11, 1-for-8, and most recently, 1-for-15. His team was able to win, however, two of those games. Morrison’s backup, Matt Carroll, saved the team from the 1-for-5 performance against Detroit, in which Morrison was limited to 19 minutes, and then rescued the Bobcats again in a triple overtime thriller against the Lakers with 27 points, where Carroll was used in overtime rather than the rookie “shooting specialist.”

While at Gonzaga, the mustached man was launching even more shots than he is in the NBA, with 17 shots per contest. The difference, however, was that he was shooting 49.7%. He never had a single game in his college career where he only made one shot, a feat that he has unfortunately accomplished so many times in the NBA that he can almost trademark the term “one-for” or even tattoo it on his bicep.

Ammo, as he was known in college, would be better off if he ran out of ammo, and so would the Bobcats, who have won the only two games where Morrison was held to six shots or less.

The league would love to see the old Adam Morrison that was put on display night in and night out at Gonzaga. The man proved himself at that level, however, he has yet to do so in the NBA. With longer and quicker defenders, many questioned if Morrison would be able to adjust. The Bobcats believed he could and have seen flashes of brilliance. The brilliance, however, has been dimmed by shooting slumps galore.

If Morrison wants to survive in this league, he has to prove himself to be a little more efficient with a much less flamboyant shot-selection. He has to find his role on the team and fit it. He needs to settle for his shots rather than force his shots. Morrison needs to adjust his college game to the NBA to really make it work. All of this is very possible with a player that is as gifted as Adam Morrison is, but he’ll have to work hard to make it happen.

And maybe he could shave his mustache, too.

—–This article was originally published on January 2, 2007 at Sports Central—–

Rory Fitzpatrick: NHL All-Star?

This year, the NHL has decided to change up the way it handles it’s all-star voting. Instead of only allowing a restricted number of votes from each online IP address, it has decided to let the fans go crazy and vote as many times as they want to as part of their “Click to Vote” campaign. The NHL, however, did not expect the fans to react like this.

Rory Fitzpatrick, a relatively unknown and unspectacular defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks, is currently No. 12 in the all-star voting, with 31,310 votes, according to the official website of the NHL. He is the only “write-in candidate” of recent history to receive any noticeable fan recognition. The case for Fitzpatrick, who would normally only receive the votes of family members and perhaps a few of his close friends, all started on an Internet message board called HFboards.com.

A man by the moniker “lecherous” posted the idea on November 19 stating: “if we vote in the one player who probably deserves it the least, imagine the awesomeness that would come from that.”

The idea has now spread to the point that there are YouTube videos supporting the cause, fans holding up “Vote for Rory” signs in stadiums across the NHL, and even media outlets in Canada and the United States picking up the story and interviewing the originator. VoteForRory.com has also been created to provide updates on the campaign.

The concept started out with fans trying to prove that the NHL voting policy was bogus, but it has now grown to the point where many truly believe that stuffing the ballots with Fitzpatrick’s name is a just cause to support a hard-working athlete as opposed to a naturally gifted one.

Fitzpatrick is deep in the Canucks defensive depth chart and has yet to record a point in 16 games this season. He has been a longtime journeyman in the NHL and always earned the respect of those around him by trying his hardest every time he has stepped on the ice. He first turned heads this year by winning the Vancouver Canucks’ shooting accuracy competition in their 2006 SuperSkills event earlier this month. Now he is turning them one more time.

Fitzpatrick currently trails the leading vote-receiving defensemen, Scott Niedermayer and Nicklas Lidstrom, by nearly 200,000 votes each. However, the ball has just started rolling in the “Vote for Rory” campaign.

Upon hearing the news of the internet movement to get him in the event, Fitzpatrick told the Vancouver Daily Province that he was getting a kick out of all the attention. “You have to give credit to the people who have put it all together. They did a great job. It’s pretty funny.”

If fans continue to prove the power of mass communication and the internet, then Fitzpatrick truly does stand a chance to make the big game. Not only would Rory Fitzpatrick represent the Vancouver Canucks in Dallas, home of the event, but he would also be representing the “Average Joe’s” of this world.

“Vote for Rory” represents everything that is pure and noble in an market that hypes big named players and the gifted athletes that put up all the stats. Fitzpatrick is just a regular hard-working guy who is trying his best without recognition day in and day out.

Why not recognize him for his efforts? The All-Star Game is all about showing the fans what they want to see. Why not choose to see perseverance for a change? Vote for Rory and make a difference.

“If I’m going to get it,” Fitzpatrick laughed, “I’m going to need a lot of help, that’s for sure.”

—–Article originally published on December 1, 2006 at Sports Central—–

Surprise Starts in the NBA

When the top four teams from last year’s playoffs have combined for five wins and 13 losses, there are bound to be some surprise teams that are higher up in the standings than what was expected. The NBA season is only one week old and nobody could have predicted the start that we have seen. Some teams that were proclaimed to be destined for the lower half of the league are showing that they can surprise, while many teams that were thought to dominate are simply falling short.

The whole week can be summarized by one play seen on opening night — a Tyrus Thomas put back dunk overtop of Shaquille O’Neal. Nothing can say “out with the old and in with the new” quite like the jam by that youngster.

The Hawks, Lakers, Hornets, 76ers, and Jazz have also had their fair share to say as they have turned the predicted standings on its head early on. There is no way for us to believe that this trend is going to continue for the remainder of the season or even the rest of the month. However, why not enjoy the show while it’s happening? The time is now to cut out the standings page from the paper and to give praise where praise is due.

Sure, the early season may not be treating the Heat, Mavericks, Pistons, or Suns very well so far, but we can all safely bet that they’ll get back on track and be battling it out come playoff time. They will get their glory then, but for now, some attention must be given to the surprises of the young season.

With that said, let’s take an in-depth view of the teams that are turning heads across the NBA.

Atlanta Hawks (3-1)

Many experts thought that Speedy Claxton’s much-anticipated starting role with the Hawks would bring dividends. Well, the Hawks have seen highflying results, but Claxton has had little to do with it.

Joe Johnson has been on fire throughout the first week of action, averaging almost 28 points a game on 48% shooting. However, it is rare for one player to carry a team all by himself, and Johnson’s leadership of the Hawks is no exception. Zaza Pachulia has been averaging over 18 points per contest and Tyrone Lue rescued them from the grave against the Cavaliers. Lue hit a buzzer-beating runner over LeBron James to tie the game at 90 before Joe Johnson stole the show in overtime to carry the Hawks to a 104-95 victory over the Cavaliers.

These Hawks have plenty to be happy about and have a good opportunity to keep things going for another week as they face the Raptors, Sonics, and Bucks. They are bound to settle down one day or another, and they will, but there is no reason why it has to happen just yet. Hawks fans: enjoy the ride while you can.

Los Angeles Lakers (4-2)

The Lakers are giving the Clippers a push in the Battle of Los Angeles and have proved that they aren’t a one-man team, as they were often accused of being last year. Without Kobe Bryant in the lineup, the Lakers pulled off big wins against the Phoenix Suns (114-106) and the Golden State Warriors (110-98). They then continued their success with the superstar in the lineup.

Andrew Bynum has been a big surprise so far, building upon a solid preseason and making himself the probably starter, even after Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown return from their injuries. He has shot 66% from the field and pulled down 7.2 rebounds per game while also providing a defensive presence down low (1.3 blocks/game).

However, the true story in L.A. has been teamwork. All the pieces of the puzzle have seemingly fallen together for this squad. Lamar Odom has been piling on the points when needed (28 ppg without Kobe) and Luke Walton has developed into a nice complimentary player (15.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, and 3.8 apg).

It’s significant to note that this team is doing all of this with barely any help from Vladimir Radmanovic, their key offseason signing. As he comes along and begins to gel with his new team, there is no telling what could happen. If they can continue to rely more on teamwork and less on Kobe being a one man squad, then they’ll be able to avoid collapses like what happened last night in Portland and possibly emerge as a solid playoff contender in the West.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (4-0)

The Hornets are leading the NBA! The Hornets are leading the NBA! Two times for good measure in the same way that they won two home-openers for good measure. After pulling out a close one at home in New Orleans against the bolstered Houston Rockets, they followed it up the next game in Oklahoma City with another tight victory, this time against the Golden State Warriors. Their victories have all been within 10 points, but that is no reason to put them down. Great teams are defined by how they close out in the clutch, and this young squad is proving that they can do just that.

The Hornets have added a lot of talent with the additions of Peja Stojakovic, Tyson Chandler, and Bobby Jackson. However, with as much press as these signings have received, you’d think that they were carrying the team throughout each one of the victories.

However, rather than taking over games, they have simply found their roles alongside the biggest ticket in (the) town(s): Chris Paul. The young sophomore point guard has had his way with opponents throughout the first four games. Paul is averaging 17.5 ppg, 10.8 apg, and 4.5 rpg and shooting 50% from the field. The young Hornets have a bright future with this kid leading the way, however, they have a long way to go before they can truly prove themselves worthy of serious recognition — as they have failed to make the playoffs ever since being moved to the Western Conference in 2004/2005. Big tests coming up this week include the Clippers and the Pistons.

Philadelphia 76ers (3-2)

Iverson is still waiting for an NBA championship and in all likelihood, he’ll continue to wait. However, the 76ers have got off to a strong start with big wins over the highflying Hawks, the improved Magic, and the Shaqless Miami Heat. The only thing this team is missing is a killer instinct, and this will be what keeps them away from continuing the success they saw in their first three games.

The Sixers have been surging under Iverson’s lead, however, if they don’t give him any more help than what they’ve been doing, then they’ll continue to have problems down the stretch, as seen with their fourth-quarter collapse against the Indiana Pacers and the two-point loss to the rebuilt Raptors. Nonetheless, they are still in a very good position in the standings and have a lot of positives to draw from the previous four games.

Allen Iverson is leading the NBA in scoring with 31.4 ppg. The amazing thing, with all the shots he’s putting up, is that he is also dishing out over 9 assists per contest. Kyle Korver is also showing some promise in his first season as a starter, putting up 16 ppg and providing a consistent outside touch. Chris Webber is shooting just 34% from the field with a measly 10 ppg (compared to his career average of 21.6 ppg). This team has had a surprising start by winning their first three games, but they will not continue to surprise anybody by having an Iverson-dominated offense.

The Sixers have always relied on Iverson to do all the work and they continue to do so. He has always done his job and kept the team respectable, however, that will continue to be the best-case scenario. Look for Philly to fall right back into the pack sooner or later, because there is no way that this team is better than 6th spot in the East.

Utah Jazz (4-1)

The Utah Jazz are singing along to their great start to the season. They have been very impressive with two victories over top-tier teams (Phoenix and Detroit), a 10-point win over the improved Houston Rockets, and a blowout victory against the fastbreak Golden State Warriors. Their only loss came to, arguably, the best offensive team in the Eastern Conference, the New Jersey Nets.

Everybody on this jazzy roster is stepping up and playing their part in the success. Carlos Boozer is doing all the grunt work, averaging 19.4 ppg and 12.4 rpg. Deron Williams is continuing the magic that we saw in the last half of last season, providing 13.2 ppg and 6.4 apg. Also, Mehmet Okur is proving that last year was no fluke, and is chipping in 17.4 ppg and 9.2 rpg while providing strong defense, as well, blocking Richard Hamilton’s shot in the final seconds of the 103-101 victory over Detroit. All in all, the Utah Jazz are proving to be a together team.

The tests, however, will continue to come and the Jazz will have to keep up their strong play in order to maintain their stranglehold on the West. They couldn’t quite handle the Nets to start their three game road trip and will have to get back on track as they head into Milwaukee and Los Angeles (Clippers) before returning home. As long as Andrei Kirilenko stays healthy, this team will always have a chance to compete because of the defense he brings. The key to their continued success, however, relies mostly on their sophomore point guard. If Williams can hold up, then so can the Jazz.

—–Article originally published on November 9, 2006 at Sports Central—–

Something’s Missing at CUC

There is something lacking at CUC. Can you feel it? It’s there; you know it. You know you can feel it–that empty hole that seems to place shadows all across this campus. When you go home for the summer and get asked by a friend or relative where you go to school you simply reply, “in Alberta,” or maybe you proudly state “Canadian University College”, while hoping that it’s overly generic name doesn’t get recognized. But you know where you go to school. Yeah, you know – that place with 400 students, the one on the hilltop, the one with no school pride. Yeah, that one.

Optimistically: CUC truly is a wonderful school. We have a very intelligent group of professors here – many of them hold a PhD, pretty impressive for a small school like this. The student to teacher ratio is also something to enjoy. It gives the student a very solid environment to learn compared to larger universities. There is a good pre-med program as well as an Outward Pursuits department that puts this place on the map. I know first hand that the Education Department and the English Department are both run well with excellent professors who really know their stuff. There really isn’t much to complain about when it comes down to the main reason we really are here: to get educated. We are getting a great education from top-notch teachers in a great learning environment. But…

…there’s still something missing, isn’t there? You know you can feel it.

We do get a great value for what we pay here, we really do. Compared to other Adventist Universities we are paying much less for, well, for not much less. For goodness sakes, we have our own bathrooms! In our own rooms! You won’t find that in many other dorms. I personally quite enjoy showering in the comfort of my own surrounding – it lets me sing whatever tune I feel like without somebody telling me to keep it down, and let’s face it, it’s would be a bit strange if a bar of soap fell down by your feet if it wasn’t yours.

The point is that we are getting a good education in a great place to live, especially with the rarely wonderful winter weather that we have being treated with this year. No complaints, right? Right…except…

…there’s still that shadow floating over this place, you know the one.

The SA has done a great job of organizing some key events. Campus Ministries has been quite involved in CUC life and the community that surrounds us making this place better for all. PLT has put on some solid events that have been enjoyable. Likewise, intramurals has been quite a blast so far. However, for me at least, the question arises: am I proud to be at this school? Do I have a deep sense of school pride?

If you were to wander around public universities in the United States during the Rose Bowl, the NCAA March Madness, the NCAA frozen four, or other sports tournaments and even the games leading up to those prestigious events, you would have a guaranteed knowledge of what school pride is and you would be well aware that we do not have that here at CUC. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody paint their faces to the colour of the “A” on the Aurora hockey jerseys. I’ve seen a moose wandering around at certain occasions. Why don’t we have an Aurora mascot yet (if it could be possible)? Maybe it’s because we simply don’t care…but why not?

The CUC men’s hockey team won their league championship last year. This is different than most years – it’s a real league! This is a league with other colleges playing against us instead of those random men’s pick-up teams lacing up and taking on our guys for no real purpose other than them wanting to get out of the house at night after a tough day at work. The hockey team is for real – they are playing very good in a very competitive league. This is rare for CUC sports, but why?

Did you ever notice that there aren’t any links for anything student-activity oriented on the CUC homepage? No athletic programs information, no special interest clubs, no message boards, no event photo gallery, no intramurals news, no sports scores…nothing. How are we supposed to follow the standings and statistics, more importantly how are Alumni supposed to follow standings and statistics? At most universities the alumni make up a good percentage of the support for sports teams and other school programs. Do they even know when they have a chance to get out and watch their Aurora play a game? The more people that show up the better it is for the environment at any sporting event. Having a good sporting environment, in turn, leads to wins being more exciting. Having exciting wins, lastly, leads to school pride. Sports creates school pride just as much or more than good academics. This isn’t necessarily right, but it is the way it is nonetheless. I don’t know if school pride gets generated very quickly with only 20 or so people watching the big game, but I think not. Lets get excited about sports! Lets get excited about CUC! We have, and have had, some amazing talent. We just need to put it on display.

We all enjoy the great music displayed by Egypt, Rony Desarme, Mark LaFlamme, and many others – but do we enjoy the athletic abilities we have at this school? Some current and recent athletes – Andrew Dyer (basketball), Kirk Dunshee (basketball), Egbert Cambell (basketball), Brian Gray (basketball), Brian Benoit (volleyball), Michael Augustine (basketball), David Auguste (volleyball), and many others – have never got their opportunity to shine in the spotlight that could have been. This spotlight would not have simply built those individuals up, but it would have also built up school pride. These are students who would have an excellent chance of cracking rosters at any Adventist school in the world, but they simply haven’t been given that chance here. Sure, they’ve been able to play in school events or the odd exhibition game, but they haven’t been given the opportunity to grow in a system that nurtures their ability and improves their play while competing on a high level. CUC has never committed to athletic growth and development. The school would rather fund an excessive five signposts for directions around campus than to hire a coach for athletics. The school would rather give thousands of dollars away to possible students than to freely allow players to wear the letters “CUC” across their chest in a sporting event. They would rather make the students who want to represent the school pay to advertise CUC than to offer scholarships to improve the talent, which in turn would improve recognition of this institute, which in turn would generate some sort of school spirit. You get the point…the school is trying to draw new people in with the aesthetics and the giveaways rather than attempting to secure school pride in those that already attend this fine institute.

Word of mouth.

Supposedly it’s one of the most effective business strategies today. If you have a unique product that can catch attention then it has a good chance of becoming an Internet phenomenon, which could inevitably earn official media recognition and ultimately sales. Surely students with great pride in this school would spread the news to their friends who would then consider this institute. Now, imagine student “x” has 10 friends whom he or she tells about CUC. Out of those 10 that student “x” tells and encourages, only 5 consider it. Out of those five who consider CUC, only one decides to attend. If 400 students did this – enrolment would be at 800 after one year. Now, of course that is unrealistic because the simple fact is that not every one of the 400 students at CUC will be spreading the great news of this great school like wildfire. It is impossible.

It is a shame.

The Lindgren Foundation, along with other supporters, donated thousands upon thousands of dollars two years ago for a beautiful hardwood gym that we all enjoy today. What has this hardwood gym been used for? Recreational badminton, Acronaires, gym class, recreational basketball, registration, Alumni Weekend, Fall Fest, and many other things that simply do not require a hardwood floor of such expensive taste. It is no knock on those events – those events are wonderful and are highly appreciated by many students and visitors to the school. However, as already stated, these events would never have justified the need for a hardwood floor of this quality. This court is a court that is meant for basketball and volleyball. The court actually improves the game for these sports – wouldn’t it be great if Mr. Lindgren was able to sit courtside and watch the CUC Aurora beat the Walla Walla Wolfpack in a game of basketball? It would take some athletic development at this school, but surely it could be done – and this would bring great pride to the college life at CUC.

The only way to have such a team is to start such a team. I’m speaking mostly on the basis of basketball, because I’m a basketball player myself, but in the same manner it would be great to have other sports developed – volleyball, soccer, and other sports would also bring great pride to this school.

It will take years to get the system to the point of success, but it has to start sometime, what better time than now? This school needs to get serious about coaching and developing our athletes to become the best that they can be. This school needs to look at attracting the athletes along with the academics. Many schools have sports scholarships that match up close to academic scholarships, and this could be a possibility. It is not my call, it is only my dream.
It is my dream that there may be a basketball program – with a couple hundred people cheering on our Aurora during home games.

It is my dream that the students here on the hilltop may be proud of their institute.

It is my dream that when somebody approaches me and asks me “where do you attend school?” that I may reply proudly, “Canadian University College,” hoping that they may recognize the name for the pride that comes with it.

The time for administration to try a new strategy for attracting students to CUC is now. Stop worrying about the students who aren’t here, that hasn’t worked for the last ten or so years. Try something new. It’s a novel idea, really it is. Start worrying about the students who are here! Generate some school spirit, generate some pride, and generate some unity. As the great Bob Marley once stated, “Let’s get together and feel alright!”

—–Originally published April 2006 in The Aurora Chronicles—–