As the temperatures drop and the leaves begin to brown, there is no mistaking that summer is over. The change in the season brings with it some positives, one of the biggest being fall sports. At our home games, the stands are filled with school spirit. But, as proud as we all are to be Boxers, I find it strange that we cannot cheer together as a united front and instead choose to stand only in our separate sections.
Our school has always touted diversity as one of its strongest characteristics and for the most part, this is true. We are a diverse undergraduate college of different races, different cultures and different origins. People are friendly. It’s easy to strike up a conversation with the girl that sits next to you in chemistry or ask your buddy to edit your paper for your expository writing class. But, for some reason, those same friends that we make in the classrooms don’t hold up when choosing where to sit in the stands.
Yes, we can’t all be best friends and we hang out with different people outside of school hours, but when we come together for a common goal—to cheer on our sports teams—there is no reason we shouldn’t all be able to yell for our friends together.
I was at a football game a few weeks back and my friends and I set up early. Another one of my friends came by and although we invited him to bring the group he came with to sit with us in the central part of the stands, he declined, not because of any sort of disconnect, but because the Hawaii kids always sit in their own section of the stands. And they’re not the only ones. Let’s not forget the various other cliques and groups that can all be friends in class, but can’t stand together to support our school.
We are all Boxers. We are all proud of our teams (even when they lose). Just because we’re separated geographically doesn’t mean we have to separate ourselves physically.
Maybe we’re scared that the polite and respectful person we study with for physics will morph into some screaming, red-and-black painted animal barely able to contain himself from rushing the field. Maybe we think that since it’s the way it has always been, that’s how it is and will continue to be.
But maybe it’s time we realized that we are all in the stands for the same reason and a united group of students is more powerful than segregated factions clapping after a few good plays.
So try it out. Bring your group of friends over to your friends from class, or maybe even just some kids you’ve seen around campus. I know you’re all personable people. Who knows? You might be inspired to cheer louder than you ever have and I dare you to yell alongside of your buddy who does turn out to be a crazy fan after all.
So when I see you at a game, I hope you share the stands and share your school spirit.
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