When the football team plays the University of Pennsylvania on Oct. 1 at home under the lights, will you go? It might be like the glory days of high school football, like a big hockey game minus the ice (and the hockey) or like an SEC football showdown.
The lights might change everything.
The play on the field as well as the enthusiasm in the stands were already solid in the home opener against Colgate, and the athletic department has yet to play its 11F trump card: the night game.
Football captain Nick Schwieger '12 emphasized how the stadium lights will affect the important balance between fans and athletes. "The lights are a great addition to our athletic community because the excitement of a night game extends to the fans as well as the players," Schweiger said.
According to Schwieger, the team is currently focused on its game against Sacred Heart on Sept. 24, but it definitely has the first night game against Penn circled on its calendar.
For the first time in 130 seasons of football (think about that) our boys are playing under the lights. Penn is the two-time reigning Ivy League champ, so this is set to be an epic contest. Head football coach Buddy Teevens believes that the game should be an enjoyable event for students, faculty, staff, alumni and even locals and will hopefully foster a greater interest in Dartmouth football.
"I want my players to be part of the fabric of the Dartmouth community," Teevens said.
We are all members of that much heralded "Dartmouth community," and we have a social contract to match the players' and coaches' excitement on the field with energy in the stands. Plus, many students believe that a night game is extremely compatible with our campus social scene. "[Night games allow for] more of an opportunity for tailgating and social events," said baseball player Cole Sulser '12.
Translation: It's a lot easier to play pong or tailgate before a 6 p.m. start than a noon game. The planned tailgates last year were definitely the right idea, but doing it before Homeplate brunch closed should have been a sign that it was simply too early.
However, the Greek system will still inevitably create conflicts for students hoping to attend games.
"I enjoy going to the football games, but Greek life is arguably a bigger part of the social atmosphere," Erin Henn '14 said.
Sorority rush, for example, is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. on the day of our first night game. Hundreds of '14 girls will be forced to show up late. That said, Henn is headed to the game as soon as rush ends on Saturday.
I sincerely hope that we fill all 13,000 seats at Memorial Field for the Penn game. Usually we struggle to show up with more students than townies, and that's plain pathetic. When Brown played a night game against Harvard, student attendance tripled, according to Athletic Director Harry Sheehy. Let's not embarrass ourselves when we unveil the lights that President Kim and Sheehy worked so hard to bring to us.
The lights represent more than the ability to play football games after dark, they represent a commitment from the College to make Dartmouth a more legitimate "sports school."
"The lights provide an opportunity for us to heighten what we already do," Sheehy said.
A brightly lit football field is just one more tool that adds to practice times for not only the football team, but the rugby, soccer, lacrosse and baseball teams as well. Teevens noted that the new stadium lights are only the latest in a series of improvements to our athletics facilities, including the construction of Floren Varsity Gym, the completion of Scully-Fahey Lacrosse Field (also equipped with lights) and renovations to Alumni Gym.
Many student athletes will benefit from the use of the football field at night, and hopefully the continuing upgrades will attract even more student use.
"I don't get selfish about it," Teevens said.
In addition to the night game against Penn, highlights from the 2011 football schedule include the Homecoming game against Columbia on Oct. 22 and another night game away at Harvard on Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. I encourage all superfans to attend.
Whether you will have just watched men's soccer play Princeton, attended a poetry slam or tailgated for four hours, come out to the first night game (remember, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. against Penn). Let Teevens, Schweiger and crew impress you and show you why being a fan of Dartmouth football is awesome. I guarantee you that the atmosphere will be as electric as the field's seven 50-foot light towers.
