Michigan hockey player Scooter Vaughan used to surprised reaction of strangers
Scooter Vaughan
The glances come in restaurants and at airports.
People see Scooter Vaughan in his Michigan athletic gear and assume he's traveling with one of the university's athletic teams. When they find out that he plays hockey, they're routinely surprised.
"I am a player on the hockey team, but I am also a black player on the hockey team, so it probably is easier to pick me out of 23 or 24 other guys," Vaughan said.
Vaughan rarely makes issue of his race. But during Michigan's road trip to Northern Michigan last week, he noticed the glances he's experienced before -- this time in a Marquette restaurant during dinner with his teammates.
That led him to type the following on Twitter: "Getting some pretty funny looks in Marquette, MI when people see a black guy roll up with the @Michigan_Hockey crew, segregation is over."
The tweet was more stream of consciousness than anything, he said, but he felt the need to address the situation. He's also gotten similar looks in other CCHA stops -- in Sault Ste. Marie, in Oxford, Ohio, in various airports.
The senior forward is one of 12 black hockey players competing at the Division I level, according to an NCAA minority report. Blacks make up 0.7 percent of the college hockey population.
He said most strangers assume he's a soccer player or runs track. Although he realizes the number of African Americans playing hockey has grown in the past decade, the glances from strangers don't surprise him.
"I'm used to it and I know people and I know how society is, and it doesn't bother me," Vaughan said. "It's not going to make me lose sleep over anything or make me think twice about it. It is what it is."
"I wouldn't say it's an issue but there are times, when I am like, 'Oh yeah, I am a black hockey player."
Jeff Arnold covers Michigan hockey for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.
Comments
door23
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 11:09 p.m.
Though I would agree that assumptions are made about what it means when someone looks at us ,"funny." Something that should be considered is the perspective of someone who has experienced discrimination. I am assuming that some of the writers who chastise the featured athlete have not experienced discrimination. I caution that one needs to be sensitive to the experience of discrimination, as well as, I feel it is important to think about one's own white privilege. It is presumptuous to assume that you know what the minority athlete saw or felt if you yourself have not experienced discrimination. To be fair the article is short, which makes the reader assume too much, but I feel it important to be sensitive to the issues of discrimination. The shortness of the article makes the reader assume that the featured athlete believes rural America is racist, though we don't know the athlete's full view. Let's not assume what the featured athlete thinks based on a brief article that does not do the subject of discrimination justice.
840MD
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 6:29 p.m.
Mr Vaughn himself has posted hidieous things on twitter that include racial and sexual stereotypes. These things he apparently finds funny but he takes umbrage over what he infers as people staring at him becuase he is a black hockey player. This is really a story about a young man, who represents the University of Michigan, unthinkly blurting out whatever is on his mind on a world wide medium like twitter. Hopefully he will learn forom this and be a better man for it.
C
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 4:25 p.m.
Why does he automatically assume when someone looks at him "funny" as he put it, that those looks MUST be about his race? When you are playing an away game and people are giving you looks, its more than likely happening because you play for the opposing hockey team (especially if he was wearing some kind of UMich shirt/jacket/whatever when it happened). Unless anyone said anything to him directly in regards to his race and the fact that he is a hockey player (which would be just plain rude) it is presumptuous to assume that his race is why people are looking at him. NMU and UMich have a healthy rivalry and hockey fans are just as passionate about heckling the other teams fans and players as much as any other sport. I'm sure if he asks his teammates, they were getting looks as well.
Marshall Applewhite
Thu, Mar 10, 2011 : 12:06 a.m.
I agree with this. I'm sure some people are looking at him funny because of race, but this type of thing would be pretty easy to ignore. People are probably more intrigued than anything. I'm sure it isn't often that a black person is seen in Marquette, MI.
umichjim
Fri, Mar 4, 2011 : 2:47 p.m.
Too bad these glancers can't get a chance to know Scooter and see what a class guy he is. Glad you chose to come to Michigan, Mr Vaughn! Good luck in the playoffs.
a2roots
Thu, Mar 3, 2011 : 4:39 p.m.
Don't sell yourself short Scooter. You are a damn good hockey player, a credit to your parents and the University you represent. Hopefully other young hockey players be they black, white, yellow or any other color will look upon you as a positive role model. Good luck to you and Go Blue..