At 10:30 PM 10/21/95, Tarkington McMains wrote:
>I talked to Cornell's coach Mike Schafer tonight between periods, and asked
>for Cornell to have a moment of silence for Travis.  He said he might do
>it next weekend during our exhibition game vs Western Ontario.
 
Early this afternoon I was talking to Merrimack SID Tom Caraccioli, and we
discussed the idea of doing this.  Tom wrote something up and had it
approved by everyone, including Coach Ron Anderson, and it was read by PA
announcer Rick Savastano prior to the Providence-Merrimack game this
evening.  It said something like, "At this time, we ask everyone to rise
and spend a moment in silent meditation for BU freshman Travis Roy, who was
injured in a game last evening," and the rink remained silent for several
seconds.
 
Of course it doesn't change anything, but at Merrimack, I feel it was the
least we could do to show our solidarity with BU and Travis as members of
the college hockey community during this difficult time for them.
 
It was heartwrenching to watch segments of the press conference with Mr Roy
on the 11:00 news, in which as tears rolled down his face, he described how
when he went out on the ice to talk to Travis and asked how he was doing,
Travis told him that he couldn't feel his arms and legs and that his neck
hurt...and although he knew what had happened was not good, he told his
dad, "I made it," meaning that whatever was to come, he had proven that he
could make it to BU and DivI hockey.  And at that moment, I thought I could
see the usually stone-faced Jack Parker struggling to maintain that sense
of non-emotion and control.
 
Mr Roy added that if he really had to become paralyzed, "there was no other
way he would have wanted it to happen...than out on the ice," and he took a
bit to get out the last few words.
 
If it's possible, I hope someone close to the situation at BU can either
get an address for Travis that cards and letters can be sent to, or else
even take some notes to him in person.
 
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                   [log in to unmask]            *HMM* 11/13/93
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