There is an article today in the Indiana Daily Student titled "Student led chant draws critcism". The article tells how complaints have been lodged in response to a cheer students chanted at Wednesday's basketball game directed towards the alumni donors sitting in the seats located behind one of the baskets. The chant which resounded through the arena stated "Stand Up, Old People", and was started due to the lack of enthusiasm shown by the fans sitting in those seats. This wasn't just any game. It was a rivalry game against Purdue, that Indiana dominated throughout eventually ending in a 27 point bruising. There are a few things that irked me about this article.
First off, it is rediculous that the administration is speaking out against this chant when the problem that is now facing the university rests sqaurely on their shoulders. The chant, as we all can assume, was began out of frustration by the students who feel as if they are being shafted in the process of season ticket allotment. This is just the latest development in a series of events that have grown since the university decided to take the 500 seats in question from the students, and give them to alumni donors so they can make up debts that have accumulated. Not only did they take most of the students best seats, but they made the worse seats we are getting more expensice, raising season ticket prices per game from $11 to $15. Now they are chastising us for speaking our opinion on the matter. In fact, it could be said that the chant is another example of how passionate we are about Hoosier basketball. We want the place to rock, so its an atmosphere our opponents can rarely win in.
I'm not saying that if you come to a game you should have to cheer or being enthusiastic. I don't know why you would come to the games if you weren't going to do these things. First, our teams deserves your entusiasm when they are playing good basketball. Secondly, the fans who are trying to support the team deserve better. On my last check, Indiana University is still a university. Without students, there would be no university. This is my university, and part of my decision to come here was based on the athletics, namely the tradition of Hoosier basketball. Seeing as how I am paying even more monry to purchase basketball tickets, on top of my outrageous tutition, I feel as if I deserve better seats. If not for this, they should give students back the seats behind the goal because that is where we work our magic. It is how we turn the arena into OUR HOUSE. Many, many other colleges understand this idea, and Hoosier students are tired of cherering their asses off in the balcony, while the University continues to suck in money as the donors fail to support our Hoosiers as well as the students could.
This is my University, and I feel as a paying ticket owner I deserve the best opportunity to support my school on the basketball court. And yes, I will continue to fight for it until something happens. And yes, I wil chant and cheer how I see fit. You can be sure its not how the alumni donors behind the basket cheer.
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5 comments:
You stated your views very well. I agree with you on most points. The A.D. just has a responsiblity to a lot of people including the big donors which is why he probably said what he did.
It's all about the Benjamins. 'A Ring' of Assembly Hall is all donors. Granted there is limited seating for the hardcore students courtside, but the rest are shoved up the 'C Ring'. I can't complain about the football student tickets, except for the increasing prices and decreasing victories through the years, though with the new renovated Memorial Stadium the students are being moved from the 50 yard line to the endzone. Sucks for them, but they need the donors money for the renovations so they get those seats. But in 30+ years 'we' are going to be the donors/old people and damnit I want those good seats when I'm donating $1000+ a season.
I think you ought to rewrite the main points of this into a letter to the newspaper. Your opinions are very valid and well-stated.
Also, wouldn't you like to think that your alumni have a sense of humor and some remembrance of what it was to be a student there and find the cheer funny?
You can be sure Patricia is not an alumni!! But is sounds like she would be ejected from those seats!
Have fun, Mark!
Oh look, a young, idealistic college student...
I want to say, "oh, what I would pay to be young and idealistic again," but I'm not sure I feel that way.
I'll live vicariously through you, Mark. Give 'em hell. Yell at those old people. [We used the same cheer/chant, especially during the home Xavier games. The smart-ass round of apologize if they do stand up is the best part.]
Personally, I think the politics that go into students getting/not getting tickets or certain seats is pretty ridiculous.
Mark, I think your argument rests too firmly in an idealistic view that a marriage still exists between D-I athletics and the rest of the university(and the student body). The only connection between you and that team is that you both might be wearing shirts that say "Indiana" on them.
My final point of these disconnected, rambling points is to say that I think boosters and passionate alumni are some of the most wacked-out people on Earth. I hope to some higher power that I never consider having season tickets to some college team(be it my alma mater or some other school) as a fitting form of entertainment. A game a year seems totally acceptable. Season tickets sounds pretty damn pathetic. (Aploogies to Patricia).
Theresa is right. Send in a letter to the editor. I published my fair share of such letters when I was back at FN.
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