This edition of the Journal is filled with stories of Santamarians who have done great things on and off the court. It is important to highlight some of the good deeds done by our varsity athletes, because their reputation on campus always seems to be under attack.

Questions like, “Why did the football team get a new Astro turf while the Burke building is falling apart?” or, “The men’s soccer team is going to China? I’m from China and I don’t even go to China,” are bound to arise from campus chatter.

Many students don’t think too highly of Saint Mary’s athletes, not only because of the benefits they receive. They despise being associated with the football team or having people label SMU as a jock school. After all, the second sentence in Wikipedia’s SMU entry is: “The school is best known today for having one of the best football programs in Canada,” not that we should put too much trust in Wikipedia.

There are many who think the costs of strong varsity programs outweigh the benefits. As you can read in this issue, athletes do not always act as strong ambassadors of the university, and act in ways that cost Saint Mary’s dollars and reputation. Some athletes have been called for technical fouls. Yet as a whole, the athletic community at Saint Mary’s is a strong one that should be envied and emulated, and that brings countless benefits to the university.

Last week, I attended the Huskies Super Auction at the World Trade and Convention Centre. This event, the biggest fundraiser for our varsity teams, began nine years ago and is a huge cash cow. Athletes representing every team showed up to help, more than were even needed to staff the silent auction tables.

Our athletes share a sense of pride that has been shown over and over in their service to Saint Mary’s, on and off the court.

Some athletes have taken it to another level. Varsity soccer player Ally Read organized this week’s Athlete Auction at the Gorsebrook to raise money for cystic fibrosis. This is the event’s second year, and is part of a campaign Ally spearheaded called Sixty-Five Roses for Cystic Fibrosis. The campaign also includes a fundraiser in the spring, which culminates in a 6.5KM run that starts and finishes on campus.

On page 17 of this issue, there is a story on how the women’s varsity hockey team raised money for a fellow player on the Saint Thomas University hockey team who has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

On page 14, Saint Mary’s professor Bill Fletcher professes his love of teaching and coaching; Fletcher, who teaches finance, is heading off to the Yukon this month with his curling rink to the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

The money we put into varsity sport, we get back, whether or not we’re athletes.
We get it back through the thrill of a packed football game at Huskies Stadium, state-of-the-art fitness equipment at the Tower and the ability to scream rival schools back to their buses with their tales between their legs on a regular basis, sportsmanlike.

Funding varsity sport is not necessarily money down the drain; it’s a worthwhile investment that can improve the quality of life of a university by providing opportunities for students with athletic prowess and by enhancing school spirit.

Even for those who aren’t athletic or spirited, varsity can still pay back. Many members of the community buy memberships at the Tower and rent out the Astro turf, adding to the university’s revenue.

The men’s soccer team will not just go to China to compete. They will concurrently sell the university brand and will no doubt put Saint Mary’s on more maps. They will convince prospective students to engrave the university name above the lines of many more cheques, injecting even more money into the university’s budget. It pays to play.