The Athenaeum

Tag: Athletic Complex

  • SRC Decoded: What you Missed March 19th

    SRC Decoded: What you Missed March 19th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On March 19th the council met primarily to be presented with and discuss the Kings Transit UPass Agreement, presented by ASU General Manager, Ian Morrison and Kings Transit General Manager, Glen Bannon. Additionally, the Council received updates from the Student Life Committee and on the Hours of Work Policy followed by the proposal for the new budget by Jared Craig, VP Finance and Operations. The meeting received various project proposals from committee members along with a look at the Acadia Athletics Complex’s future projections.

    Kings Transit University Bus Pass

    The Council spent the first part of the meeting discussing the details of the Kings Transit University Bus Pass (UPass) agreement and service. As Ian Morrison, ASU General Manager, began to show the proposed agreement to Council he noted that he, along with Kings Transit, feel as though this agreement is a solid first step towards the process of implementing a UPass as well as being fully transparent with the Council. The agreement presented dictates the UPass fee will be $180 and can change by maximum 5% year to year for all full-time university students and any part-time or co-op students will have the ability to opt out of the fee if they like.

    Morrison stressed that this is a two-tier agreement, meaning that in order for the UPass to become permanent it needs to pass through two referendums, one in the fall and one in two years. The UPass requires 25% of the student body to vote it in and provided that happens, Section 2 of the agreement states the term of this agreement will last from 2020-22, at which point a referendum must take place before the agreement is up. The agreement also highlights the perks of students being able to add a dependent onto the program along with a refund mechanism that will be in place in case of circumstances on campus where students do not receive a service.

    Glen Bannon, Kings Transit General Manager, then took over the presentation as he showcased the service end of the UPass to Council. There are three main aims to this program: (1) Enhance student experience (2) Enhance distance and travel opportunities for a discounted price (3) Promote public transit to the students on campus. Bannon believes that the service will be able to successfully meet all three aims over the course of its run.

    There will be year-round unrestricted travel on new transit routes, and the one travelling to Kentville will have a bus leaving every 30 hours during the extended hours of 10pm-12am. UPass will additionally offer round trip transportation between August 15th – May 15th from Acadia University to downtown Halifax with a minimum of two departures every Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon (Monday on the event of an extended holiday). Bannon also notes that four-day advanced booking is required and a stand by option will be available on the off-chance a student doesn’t show up.

    The SRC responded to the service and agreement with reasonable questions which were answered by Morrison and Bannon effectively and justifiably. The agreement will be voted upon at the next council meeting.

    Student Life Committee 

    Kyle Vandertoorn, VP Student Life and chair of the Student Life Committee (SLC) , provided the Council with an update of the ongoing SLC meetings that have been frequently taking place. Vandertoorn shared that the most recent meetings have revolved around preparing for the next year school year, particularly focusing on house council. Hiring for house council was supposed to take place Sunday, March 17th but due to a low number of applicants, the SLC has made the decision to reopen applications and to do interviews later on this month. The goal for the house council interviews is to make them more interactive so the applicants will have the opportunity to showcase their skills to the hiring committee. Additionally, the SLC went over the updated House Council Constitution and has been discussing that.

    Regarding Cheaton Cup the SLC has been discussing various ways to get all the residences on campus involved and not just Chipman and Eaton. There has been a Chipman fan club started as a way to get these other residences involved as well as events such as pancake breakfasts taking place. The SLC is striving for Cheaton Cup to be a campus focus event uniting everyone through a healthy rivalry and not a party focus.

    Hours for Work Policy

    The Hours to Work Policy underwent some significant changes that ASU President, George Philp, highlighted to Council. The definition ‘Mental health day’ got changed to ‘Personal day’ which encompasses needing a break from meetings and duties in order to take a break to rest, focus on schoolwork etc. Philp noted ‘Personal day’ was more reflective of what the definition actually said. The changes also included the possibility for a leave of absence in any of the roles along with the implementation of ‘Sick days’.

    Budget

    Jared Craig, VP Finance and Operations, presented the budget for the next fiscal year. This budget addressed the minimum wage raise in Nova Scotia and how it affects paid individuals in the ASU along with the full-time staff wage gap and decreasing the gap significantly. Craig noted that his team recognized how dated the ASU website is and created a budget specifically for improving and updating the website in cooperation with the University. Regarding student fees, Craig discussed how they kept all service fees that they deemed necessary to the University and student fees will only increase from $187.4 – $193.85. The goal was to keep student fees relatively low and Craig expressed his content with the final number.

    Craig stressed to the Council that as per usual, money is tight at Acadia and due to the amount of lost money from being closed during bar renovations at the end of last year and the ban that took place at the beginning of this year, we need to figure out how to address this loss. The goal for Craig is to have this new budget passed within the coming two weeks.

    Acadia Athletics Complex Future Projections

    It was announced to council that the Acadia Athletics Complex is looking into a 10+ year projection. Gabrielle Bailey, VP Events and Promotions, attended the original meeting regarding the projection and noted to council that the University views the pool as the biggest concern. It is currently very old and leaking and the University is looking for a good way to move forward with the concern. There is a push for the town to be paying more due to the fact that 75% of the individuals who use the pool are community members and not students.

    In addition to the pool, Bailey was tasked with asking council for any suggestions on how to improve the Complex. Councillor Christopher Vanderburgh suggested the track become a few lanes wider to limit traffic and run more efficiently. With the increased popularity Sustainability Officer, Hannah Machat suggested a bouldering wall would be a key addition and it was also noted the locker rooms be redone. An audience member commented that the workout facility is too small and it would be a good idea to expand the gym later down the line along with a studio space be built for dance, yoga etc.

    At the moment nothing is solidified and the 10+ year projection is currently just a ballpark estimate but could range anywhere from 5-15 years. The discussions are in their early stages and so far nothing regarding the Athletics Complex is set in stone.

    New Business

    All of the new business that was to be voted upon at this meeting was all projects and changes proposed at the last SRC meeting with the exception of Katie Winters’, Arts Senator, Culture Show which dealt with proposed changes discussed later in the meeting. Everything voted upon at this meeting was passed unanimously.

    Project Proposals

    The meeting dealt with numerous project proposals, the first coming from First Year Officer Blake Steeves who proposed Acadia’s First Annual Freshmen Games to be held in the Acadia Sports Complex. Each residence can enter as many teams of 5 people as they want although 4 students must be freshmen on the team. Teams are required to be made from within your residence, there will be no mixing residences. The games will consist of physical and mental challenges and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

    Hannah Machat, Sustainability Officer, proposed the implementation of lanterns in the Michener Lounge. These lanterns also serve as diffusers and it will spruce up along with providing light and comfort to the lounge. The money for these lanterns will be coming from the wellness budget.

    A charity dodgeball tournament was proposed to take place on March 31st between 8-10pm. It will cost $2 per person and all proceeds will be going towards an alzheimers disease rehabilitation initiative. There is hope for 8 teams to enter but there is the expectation for more teams. Any money donated towards this fund is highly encouraged.

    Rylie Moscato is a first year English student and Columnist for The Athenaeum

  • Non-Varsity Blues

    Standing in the men’s locker room in the Acadia Athletic Complex, I found myself squeezed in between two fully nude men striking Captain Morgan poses without a shred of shame. I was wondering exactly what they were doing at the gym at such an hour. I know I wouldn’t be coming to work out at 11:30 at night if I were in my 70’s. Well, honestly I didn’t really find too much joy in doing it now in my 20’s. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have too much choice. I had already paid my chunk of my intramural basketball team’s $300 fee and didn’t plan on having that money go to waste, even if it meant having to drag myself to the Athletic Complex for an 11:30 game when I had class in nine hours.

    As sweat dripped down my leg from the older gentlemen beside me’s privates, I began to get frustrated. Here I am, an avid student with strong academic ability and commitment in an academic institution, getting the short end of the stick, playing my 11:30, $300 basketball game, getting changed in the public changing room. Meanwhile, as I walk out of the changing room I am passed by a group of varsity athletes sauntering down the hallway from their team’s personal changing room after their prime practice time, enjoying their sizeable scholarships, free clothes, and free tutors. The discrepancy in treatment between varsity athletes and regular students is a perfect reflection of many of the most serious problem we have in the world. Physical attributes are being valued above intelligence, volunteerism, and academic commitment.

    As a university, Acadia is an academic institution. The primary focus of Acadia should be to educate its students, create critical thinkers, and prepare them for their futures in the “real world”. If that was the case, then why does the C student with far-fetched dreams of playing in the CFL receive a scholarship twice the size of mine and eat up god knows what percentage of my tuition fees with the extensive privileges he or she gets to enjoy every day? Money. Acadia isn’t acting like an academic institution by continuing with these practices. As long as varsity sports continue to eat up the tuition of hard working students and community members, Acadia will remain nothing more than a business; taking from the many to benefit the few.

  • Acadia Hosts AUS Volleyball Championship

    Acadia Hosts AUS Volleyball Championship

    This weekend, (Feb 26-28), we are fortunate enough to be hosting another AUS championship. This Subway sponsored spike-fest will host six Varsity Women’s Volleyball teams from around the Atlantic provinces. UNB, Moncton, Saint Mary’s, Memorial, Dalhousie, and of course, Acadia. This is also very convenient because there are only six teams in the league, who needs a regular season anyways? Acadia is entering the weekend as the third seed team. An unfortunate standing due to the basis of the playoff structure. Six plays third, fourth plays fifth, winners move on to challenge the top two seeds who got a bye for the first round. Although this does give opportunity to for the team to get a warm up game in against last place, UNB before they start gunning for the finals.

    The weekend kicks off on Friday with the first quarter-final taking place at 3pm. This is showdown between Moncton and St. Mary’s. Don’t skip class for it. The next game, and Acadia’s first, begins that evening at 7pm. A perfect opportunity to throw some Acadia gear on, head down to the gym, and realize you have absolutely no idea how volleyball works. I’ve brainstormed some questions in which first-time volleyball watchers tend to ask themselves. Why is one girl wearing another colour? Why do they feel the need to cheer after every play? Did their father let them out of the house wearing those shorts? I do not have the answers yet, but I’m hoping this weekend will lead myself and the rest of you curious cats to some knowledge. Acadia seems to be the dominant force in this match up. Winning two of the three previous games they’ve played.

    Once Acadia brushes through the quarter-final round we’ll go jumping into the semis versus the well-rested Memorial Sea-Hawks. The Sea-Hawks, which I may mention is not an actual bird, just a poorly thought out nickname for an Osprey, are the number two seed coming out of this season. They have ten wins and seven losses throughout the school year. We have contacts in the airline industry who have ensured us that the Seahawks will all be individually seated next to crying children, while the pilots’ strike up as much turbulence as possible. I doubt this will have much influence on the result but hey, it’s not cheating if you win. This will be a tough match as Memorial have star-player Jill Snow slamming down volleyballs everywhere she goes. She boasts a whopping 209 kills, this season alone. Talk about a master key. She has the highest kills per set in the league and will need some tough defense to slow her down. This should be no problem, as Acadia has split wins with the Sea-Hawks thus far, and with an extra bit of home court advantage, it should happen again.

    If all goes well, and the Memorial Pigeons are beaten we will most-likely take on Dalhousie in the final. This is all so possible for this team, and it would be amazing for this Acadia team to make a run at the title this year. Another quarter-final loss would just puck for everyone. Suck*. So get out this weekend to show support, have your questions answered, and if nothing else, a good time.

  • A Very Informative Tour of the Athletics Complex

    A Very Informative Tour of the Athletics Complex

    Welcome everyone, and thank you for taking this tour of your Athletic Complex. Better get excited, because we’ve got tons of funs stops on the tour today. So, stretch out, take some deep breaths, maybe even do some jumping jacks (if you want to look like an idiot) because we’re taking the scenic route today.

    I decided to take the scenic route, firstly to delay my workout, but also to enjoy the brisk fall air blowing up from the dykes. So everyone, please take one of these clothes pegs from the bag, and clamp it down on the bridge of your nose, to get the maximum amount of fresh air while minimizing the smell of cow manure. If you’re starting to feel like you can taste it, quit now, it’s not your day. Now that we’re strolling we’ll get started by trespassing through the grassy place on the east side of Raymond Field. If you’re not careful you make just walk right into the long jump pits. The tracks are usually in great condition, depending on which direction the wind is coming from. Eurus is on our side today, as he trapped the mounds of plastic leaves and autumn garbage against the fence with his west flowing breaths. The sand pits are messy and rugged, looking something like a guy in mid-Movember unsure if he really wants to commit, but wanting to see what he looks like with a moustache. On a positive note, this is the only sand in Wolfville you can stand on without the worries of sinking or having forty tipsy frosh trench around half naked and cover themselves in mud. Seriously, try mud-sliding, it’s more fun than reading.

    Hope you had time to do some jumps because it’s due time to move on. You may want to avoid the abandoned soccer field, it’s where the Old Cemetery residents come to play. They say you can even hear them complain about the pitch quality if you listen to their moans – clearly the idiom “beggars can’t be choosers” doesn’t apply to ghosts. On the left we’ll pass what I believe is either a top-secret headquarters from a 1950’s Chicago mob boss, or a power plant from a similar era. The place is windowless, terrifying yet also very intriguing if you’re into scaling bricks walls to enter dangerous buildings. That’s a story for another time.

    As we loop around the back of the complex you must not deny yourself the view from here. The dykes have a very honest feel of empty beauty, inhabitable and untouched by humans. Mother Nature is much more decorative than us. If you’re wondering about the chopped up logs stacked up to your left – death by Axemen. If you’re wondering about the painfully loud buzzing coming from the hockey rinks cooling system, don’t. The off switch is not in any public areas so you may have to do some independent research to shut that one down.

    The aggravating hum does bring a cold intensity to the dressing room which you can see to your left as we walk in the bottom doors of the complex. No wonder hockey players are so loud, you can’t even hear yourself think in here. If you’re bold enough to poke your nose into one those rooms, you’ll get a hefty whiff of the sweetest smell – victory of the Summer Street Stallions in the last game. Nothing is more appealing than the used hockey gear and Dry Ice combo. As we get closer to the rink, you’ll note that the buzzing seems to die down, especially past the skate sharpening area. When we pass the dented red nets, you can run your hand down their sides and feel the disappointing ding which warped their shape. Looking at this empty rink is very intimidating, and I would hate to play our hockey team at home. No joke, there are over 25 giant red A’s smothering the cavernous ceiling. At this point I’m not sure if the A stands for Acadia or Arrogance.

    Moving on from the rink, we head towards the turf field. I hate the walkway from the front entrance to the exterior. It feels like a concrete desert, as weak currents combine with aged leaves to generate the only noise of the corridor. I still can’t decide what is more unnerving: the six larger than life posters screwed to each wall, each sporting their perfectly timed vinegar faces; or the one poster of Shaffy, off the wall and sloping over a picnic table, looking like he did while playing for DAL during last week’s playoffs. Regardless, time for a new face. Hopefully with the future renovations, we can find a better use of this phony patio-area.

    As my feet grow weary, I realize that walking around mindlessly can also be a workout. I won’t blame you if you skip your workout, as I’m going to skip mine. If you still have some steam, you may want to check out the squash courts. That hole in the wall is about fifteen feet past the varsity gym, but is usually easier to spot by the long line of high-socked, visor wearing squash enthusiasts who refuse to let anyone else have a turn with their space. If you don’t see them at first glance, it is because they don’t exist. I have never seen a soul in those courts. This leads me to a great place to end my very informative tour. Go have fun, hit a squash ball at your friends. It’s always enjoyable. You can find me down there working on my game if you’re looking to continue the tour.

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