And all the Cobber teams adjusted their schedules for final exams and Christmas break. Sports gave way, a bit, to other priorities. Christmas season brings on reflection for most of us, a sorting through of what matters and what doesn't matter quite so much. Families, we remember, are more precious than the pursuit of fame. Helping is more virtuous than victory.
Friendships are more enduring than championships.
And public prominence is not always the soundest measure of importance. And we pause to measure our lives by more substantive yardsticks. Is our institution extolling truth, justice and reconciliation. Concordia, like many educational institutions, wrestles with the contradictions and anomalies which the sponsorship of athletic teams sometimes creates. The cauldron of athletic competition generates institutional loyalty, publicity, and an opportunity for public demonstrations of a portion of our educational mission.