I AM RELEASED!

On Tuesday, the day after I returned from Cancun, I scheduled a meeting with Mark Comeaux, the VP of Student Affairs, and Greg Pappas, the Athletic Director, in order to receive an Athletic Release that would grant me eligibility to play at Trinity International University in the Fall. Without the release I would have to sit out for 16 weeks, which would cover both the soccer and basketball seasons. The meeting consisted of the discussion of my Request for an Athletic Release from Hope International University (I posted it earlier in the month). Greg told me that I should have done my homework on HIU and how bad the program was before I came and that if I endured two years as a participant in such a poor program then I can endure red-shirting at TIU next year. The meeting ended and they told me that they would have an answer by noon the same day. I stopped by his office and he regretted to inform me that I was not being granted a release and some other mumbo jumbo that I cut short by saying "I'm sorry that is your decision" and walked out the door.

Alligator tears, emotional outbursts on the phone, papers and studying, two doubleheaders, batting practice, leslie feist tunes, playing songs on my guitar, and a handful of classes later:

On Friday afternoon I sat outside Greg Pappas and Mark Comeaux's offices until they concluded a conference meeting and then handed them a piece of paper that went a little something like this:

At PCC, a major is designed to prepare the student for a career or for appropriate graduate study in pursuit of that career and is intended to prepare the student for effective ministry within that professional context.
My intended major is Communication. Since Hope International University does not provide this major I am obligated to pursue a Contract Major. When I graduate as part of the Contract Program, my major is technically counted as a Christian Leadership major and not specifically a Communication major. At Trinity International University I can major in Communication and also explore desired minors such as Marketing and Non-profit Management.

Pappas read it, then handed it to Comeaux to read, then they both looked up and Greg told me that since HIU didn't offer my major it qualified as a hardship according to the both of them. What's funny about the "hardship" agenda that they were pushing is that NOWHERE in the NAIA rule book does it mention "hardship" in relation to an Athletic Release - and I would know because I read nearly the ENTIRE rule book the other night.
Before I left the office, Pappas laughed and told me he lost the poll - that he had bet I would have been in his office sooner and he asked what took me so long. I guess my Vice President of Student Affairs and Athletic Director forgot that I am a full-time student AND a full-time athlete, and that I didn't have time to hang out around their offices EVERY waking moment. I'm just so happy to be released that Greg could have said anything he wanted I wouldn't have cared a smidge.

What better than to receive such good news on my favorite day of every month - the 21st. =)