This past interim -- that short pseudo-summer between the legendary sophomore Summer term and this Fall term -- I rediscovered something. It wasn't television, free time or even sleep. No, I rediscovered something far more interesting, entertaining and satisfying than any of those things. This interim I rediscovered collegiate athletics.
When one grows up in Pittsburgh, rarely a day goes by without some mention of collegiate athletics. "This is Pitt's year" and "Did you see that new linebacker that Penn State recruited" were common phrases. Now, as any sports fan will attest, my favorite football team, the Pitt Panthers, have not been a strong program since the late '70s and early '80s -- before I was even born. No one in Pittsburgh even dreamed of the Panthers winning a national title while I was growing up. Still, my father and I went to as many games as possible each year.
Walking into the stadium I would overhear Pitt students saying, "Man, if Pitt can keep it within 14 points of Miami I'll be happy," and "Who knows? Maybe we'll upset Syracuse today." Often Pitt would be so far back by halftime that no one in the stadium fathomed that they would come back and win the game. Still, the student section remained packed until the final whistle. Being young, I would always ask my father, a Pitt Alumnus, "O.K., we're losing by 28 points, can we go now? We aren't going to win." Of course, he would say, "No, David, the game isn't over yet. We'll leave when it's over."
As I grew older, I started to attend the games with my friends, and since tickets were cheaper for students, we would always buy a few tickets for the student section from scalpers. Until the day that I sat in that student section, I could never understand why my dad and those students would stay till the last whistle even when Pitt was destined to lose the game. But after spending one afternoon in that section, I decided that I would never again leave a game before the last play of the fourth quarter. Joining in with the Pitt students in their cheers, taunts and chants made me realize something: collegiate athletics isn't all about winning and losing. It's about enjoying the game and getting caught up in the whirlwind of school spirit.
I surely thought that Dartmouth, the football program with the most wins in Ivy League history, would have just as much spirit and enthusiasm at their games as Pitt did. However, when I asked my freshman trip leader, "How are the football games here? Are they a lot of fun?" I was shocked when he answered, "No. No one really goes to them." Then I asked, "Why does no one go to the games?" He replied, "Because we never win anymore." At that point, a little puzzled, I asked, "So what?"
Even if our team doesn't win a game all year -- when the stands are filled, students are cheering, and the atmosphere is right -- attending a sporting event can be one of the most fun things to do at college. Rooting for Dartmouth is great. Anyone who has ever attended a Dartmouth sporting event with a packed house will tell you how much fun they had. The lacrosse game against Harvard this past year, the hockey games against Cornell and Princeton and the football game against Harvard were all well-attended, and as a result, a great time.
Yes, we all attend an academic college rather than a sports college. We are in the "Ivy League" -- a title equated with academic excellence and not athletics -- but remember, "The Ivy League" is an athletic conference. The fact that the presidents and trustees of the eight Ivy League institutions recognized the importance of athletics alongside academics and formed a conference to maintain excellence in both is evidence enough that athletics should be recognized as an important part of the Dartmouth experience.
I realize that there are many other extracurricular and social activities at Dartmouth that are incredibly rewarding. I also recognize that people have very busy schedules, and often it's hard to get up before noon after a long night of partying, studying, or just hanging out. But if our teams can find time to practice, wake up early and play their hearts out for hours on end, surely we can all wake up an hour or two earlier, go to the stands, sit down, eat a hotdog and cheer for them.
I, personally, am going to start a club here on campus dedicated to filling our stands and making sure that we have a great stadium presence. If you are interested in helping out, get in touch with me, and maybe we can revitalize the age-old tradition of supporting our teams together.
Dartmouth fans are great -- when they show up. So to all of you who usually stay in your dorms rather than supporting your fellow students, I challenge you to rally some friends and head over to a few games. And for all of you who do come out to support your teams, I challenge you to be louder. I challenge you to buy a bullhorn, a cowbell or an air horn and use it mercilessly. I challenge you to paint "DARTMOUTH" in big green letters across your chests at the next game. But most of all, I challenge you to have fun, whether or not we win or lose.
