“How the hell can they somehow find fault with Canada participating? It’s no secret we always suck at the summer Olympics, so how do they expect us to get any medals from now on? ”
Sochi
Curling world champion and U of O communication alumna Dawn McEwen joined the Canadian curling team in its Olympic gold-medal victory over Sweden today, Feb. 20.
Local organization Jer’s Vision hosted a panel discussion Feb. 7 at the Arts Court Theatre with the intent of opening up a dialogue about Russia’s gay propaganda laws with members of the local LGBTQ+ community. The event, titled “Speaking out on Sochi,” featured speakers to discuss the new anti-LGBTQ+ law within the context of the ongoing Winter Olympics.
The University of Ottawa’s student federation may have voted against it, but the Sochi 2014 Olympics are streaming on campus regardless.
The message? Unless you’re a professional with a large fan base that can increase viewership of the games, your accomplishments somehow mean less. Although I doubt any of us truly think this way, it’s sadly the underlying message when all the attention is given to the pros.
Jer’s Vision, an Ottawa-based youth initiative and non-profit organization, is spearheading an awareness campaign in January and February aimed at highlighting the recent signing of an anti-gay law in Russia, which criminalizes the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relations” to minors.
Two human kinetics professors at the University of Ottawa will teach at the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) in Sochi, Russia this month.
