Page 26 of Puck You
So?
Bryce
Is this important enough to blow up the gc before 7 am?
Kent
Seb is gonna lose his shit, look
The next message was an image of the quad.There were pink and blue posters clinging to everything—the sides of the buildings, stapled to trees.They were even scattered across the ground.
Landon
I guess Grace wasn’t messing around.
Kent
Has anyone read the article?
Bryce
We need to notify Dawson
Landon
There’s an article???
Bishophas notifications silenced
Landon
Oh shit.There is definitely an article
Before I could type out a response, Bryce barged into my bedroom, a pink and blue poster clutched in his hand.He held it out for my inspection, and my eyes grew wide at the familiar image of DuLane Arena set next to McKinley Rink.At the very bottom was a QR code.My heartbeat increased to a rapid thrum as I scanned the code and pulled up the referenced article.Immediately, I was met with the sight of my own face.The photo was over a year old—one of the professional ones taken for the hockey web page.Growing even more concerned, I began toread.
An Icy Injustice
by Margaret O’Neil
In a flurry of pink and blue posters, the Dallard University women’s hockey team has made a bold statement about gender inequality within the athletics department.Despite the success of the women’s hockey program, which has brought home three national titles in the last ten years, DU continues to overlook female athletes in favor of their male counterparts.While the men train at DuLane Arena, a recently renovated, state-of-the-art hockey facility, the women are forced to practice at a previously abandoned rink.Several concerns about the facility have been communicated to the administration, but no actions have been taken to rectify the issue.
“DuLane Arena has two full-sized rinks, but only the men are allowed to utilize the training facility,” says Dena Jacobs, a senior on the women’s hockey team.Another female player who requested to remain anonymous claims to have reached out to the men for their support, only to come up empty-handed.Sebastian Evans, captain of the men’s hockey team, refused to make a comment, but in a recording provided to theDallard Spectator, he can be heard saying, “Is it so wrong for me to want to protect our training time?You might like the idea of sharing DuLane now, but when both teams lose time on the ice, you’ll regret starting this war.”To listen to the full recording, visit theDallard Spectatorwebsite.
Red swamped my vision, making it nearly impossible for me to read on.I closed out of the article with shaky hands and launched my phone at the bed.I’d been right about Grace beingup to no good, and instead of keeping a cool head, I’d played right into her hands.She’d been recording me the whole time, that’s why her phone had been hanging out of her pocket so carelessly.
Fuck me.
This was the last thing I needed.Being called out by name in an article about gender inequality was not the kind of press that would help my chances of getting an official contract.I hadn’t spoken to a single reporter since my injury.I wasn’t interested in the attention.My only goal was to prove how valuable I could be to Detroit out on the ice.I already had to convince them I was worth the risk after suffering a huge injury.
“You certainly pissed someone off,” Bryce said with a grim expression.
He didn’t mention anyone specific, but we both knew whom he was referring to.
“Grace is going to regret her decision to transfer here.I’ll make sure of it.”
>> <<
All that could be heard throughout the arena was a frenzy of panicked chatter.Everyone had read the article by now.It had been shared all over campus; the entire situation was inescapable.
