A popular trend around this time of year is the “New Year’s resolution.” Most of you will likely be recommitting yourselves to the gym or healthier diets. In case you didn’t know, if you paid your tuition this semester, you now have access to the gym facilities, so get cracking!

I’ve got another resolution for you; this one doesn’t revolve around improving your physical fitness. I challenge you to be a bigger part of your school. Of course, I’d prefer if you did that by joining the Big Horns or coming to Bison games, but I’d be just as happy if you joined a student group or volunteered for a faculty council. Maybe take up swing dancing, there’s a pretty sweet club for that.

There’re even volunteer programs that work with community organizations, so you’re not just getting involved on campus, you’re making Winnipeg better – just like a number of Bison athletes did over the winter break.

Led by Jessica Rosenbaum (women’s hockey team), Bison athletes helped out at Siloam Mission for the 10th year in a row! Athletes from track & field, swimming, basketball, soccer, hockey, volleyball, and golf helped out in the kitchen, serving meals and sorting donations. Kudos to all the athletes for using their break to help out an organization that makes a meaningful contribution to our inner city.

Merry-making with the Big Horns

To help ring in the New Year and second half of the Bison season, the Big Horns are having a social at the Hub on Jan. 23rd. It’s a chance for you to meet some new people—maybe some of our athletes—and build some school pride through Bison-themed beverages, draws, and events.

You can also join us at the basketball double header on the23rd in the Investors Group Athletic Centre and learn the art of “the heckle.” It’s a new year, so you might as well pick up some new skills. Much like a master brewer always looking to add new flavours to perfect their craft, the Big Horns love to add new flavours to the heckle mix (people equal flavour in this equation).

Now, let me put this caveat out there. We try our best not to be the obnoxious sports fans, arming their team with game-winning comments like “Throw the ball!” and “Shoot!”; or degrading the other team with disgusting commentary. Instead, our goal is to make the other team laugh.

We use clever social commentary (okay, maybe not that clever) to throw visiting players off their game. We use cheers to bring energy to our team and overwhelm visiting teams. Our goal is to make the University of Manitoba legendary in its school spirit and energy. After all, our school is supposed to embody the spirit of a herd – and a herd is just about the most collective analogy you could draw from. Sure, bisons may look inert, but have you ever seen a bison run?

Intense. That is all I have to say.