Stung by the SWARM
I’m standing outside the Ed Meagher Arena on Loyola Campus. A gust of wind slaps the side of my face as I notice a student wearing a long, flapping cape emblazoned with the words “Go, Stingers, Go!,” his face painted maroon and gold, charging toward me. A group of students, also wearing Concordia colours, is following behind him. This must be SWARM, the new student fan club, here to watch the Concordia Stingers and McGill Redmen face off against each other in the 25th annual Corey Cup game. Caught up in the frenzy, I find myself running alongside the pack, through the doors and into the arena.
It’s 30 minutes before game time and already the stands are packed with Stingers fans covered in Concordia colors. In among the fans, I spot a woman I recognize as a Loyola Campus librarian. She’s wrapped in a Stinger’s scarf and clapping together two maroon thunder sticks — no doubt making up for all that quiet time at work!
I make my way past the stands, down into the Stinger’s dressing room. As the team prepares to head out on the ice for their pre-game warm-up, I spot Coach Kevin Figsby sitting in the corner. “Hockey is a full-year academic sport for these student athletes. Training camp opens first day of classes and we skate right to the last day. It’s like a class,” Figsby says. “When you fill a building like this, it doesn’t get any better for a student athlete in terms of university experience,” he adds.
Right after the national anthem, another cheer starts up in the stands. The cloak-wearing student whom I saw earlier leads the chorus by banging a base drum. When he takes a break from pounding his drum, I run over to chat with him.
Emran Ghasemi, a Stingers rugby player, tells me he founded the student club SWARM last year to raise Stinger Spirit at Concordia. “The maroon and gold is what defines us and differentiates us from other schools. Academics play a huge role. However, the feeling of being a Concordian, that feeling that you get from school spirit is what stays with you. The bees will sting you!” he says.
I spin around to the sound of someone calling my name. It’s my old high school math teacher Thomas Angelitti and his son, Thomas, a third-year Communications student. Angelitti used to coach with Figsby for several years. “I try to come and show support, but I guess I didn’t bring good luck tonight,” he says, looking at the scoreboard: 2-0 McGill. “Regardless, it’s nice to be able to spend some quality time with my son here.”
It’s the last period and the Stingers are losing, but for Alex Gordon, president of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations, the game isn’t about winning or losing. “It’s about opportunity … to meet new people, to develop new skills and to broaden your range of experiences on and off campus,” he says.
As the final buzzer sounds, I take a moment to reflect on the scene around me. I have never really been that interested in sports, but I realize now it’s not about the game; it’s about the spirit. And the Concordia Stingers players and fans have a very bright one, painted maroon and gold.
Watch the video, where I join up with members of Concordia's new SWARM Fan club for the annual Corey Cup hockey game between the McGill and Concordia men's hockey teams:
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