Re: “Shoulda stuck with badminton” Feb. 24, 2010

To the editor:

I have spent many an hour enjoying the in-depth journalism offered by the Gazette — and by that, I mean doing the crossword. However, what I saw today appalled me.

Normally when an athlete brings home an Ontario University Athletics silver medal, it is something to be celebrated by the school. Instead, I saw the caption “Shoulda stuck with badminton,” beneath a photo of one of the finest athletes representing the Mustang name.

Sure, let’s ignore the fact she has been a dominant force, with her few losses coming against fellow national champions. Let’s ignore the fact she has represented Canada at the World Championships.

Clearly, the best option is to ridicule her performance in your publication, stripping the Gazette of any form of integrity it may have had. If only those at the Gazette spent as much time improving their so-called journalism as they do coming up with offensive captions mocking those who sacrifice their bodies and time to uphold the reputation of the school.

By all means, if you think bringing home OUA wrestling medals is easy, feel free to give it a shot.

—Andrew Ross
Social Science and Education Alumnus

Ed. Note

We agree Andrew. Characterizing Jennifer’s stellar OUA wrestling career with a single caption making a joke at a precarious situation she found herself in during a match would be wrong. That’s why her accomplishments have been recorded in no fewer than 20 articles in the Gazette, including last week’s piece. Congratulations on making it past p.2, focusing on five words and making a generalization of four years of wrestling coverage. Good luck with today’s crossword.