The first thing that comes to mind when people define an Ivy League school are high-caliber academics, when, in fact, the Ivy League was created as and remains to this day an athletic conference. We are all proud of the fact that we attend an Ivy League institution, but how often do we support the athletic programs that designate us as such?
It's not at all uncommon at Dartmouth to enter the bleachers and be one of only a handful of students attending the game, even on a sunny Saturday afternoon let alone weekday games. Beyond the devoted close friends of student athletes, very few students can be bothered to support their peers on the field.
Over 75 percent of Dartmouth undergraduates participate in some form of athletics, whether at the varsity, club or intramural level, so clearly students are interested in sports. With people so conscious about fitness on this campus, one would think supporting the highest level of athleticism would be a logical extension.
It's not that students have no desire to support their peers, as on any given Wednesday night dozens of students are turned away from a cappella and dance shows due to packed crowds. We're just not sure that any of our teams could say they have experienced the same consistent outpouring of support.
The College has made a lot of efforts to encourage student attendance at sporting events. The Big Green Cup, awarded to the varsity team that shows up the most often in the stands for other teams in addition to academic, community and sporting excellence, is another incentive for attendance. The Big Green tailgate series and free t-shirt giveaways tend to attract students and do undeniably boost attendance, but by the second half the stands are conspicuously empty.
The student apathy towards Ivy League athletics is not unique to Dartmouth. We heard a familiar story from high school classmates at several of our Ivy League counterparts: Princeton Senior Beth Garcia noted that the extent of supporting athletes is often limited to wishing them good luck and asking about the results after the game. Similarly, Cornell University student-athlete Kristin Scillia said that she could give the first and last name of almost every person at every one of her games because their support base is comprised mostly of parents and friends.
No one denies the fun of sporting events or the talent of student-athletes, but the effort of heading to the stands often seems too great for Ivy Leaguers. We would like to think it is because everyone is in the library working hard during game time but, as a student body, we can pretty much unanimously agree that this is not the case for the majority of people.
At other top academic institutions around the country, this pattern of low attendance does not seem to be a problem. Schools like Stanford University and Georgetown University have weekly outpourings of support for their teams. Granted these programs may have more funding to recruit better athletes, but the Ivy League still graduates national champions and all-American athletes on its teams, too. So what's really keeping us from showing up?
We all have a lot on our plates, and we know that sporting events don't appeal to everyone. However, it's hard to figure out how the gym can be one of the most crowded places on campus, yet you never have to wait to find a seat to watch any team.
While we are guilty ourselves of sometimes thinking Scully-Fahey Field is too far away or that it's too cold to sit on the metal bleachers, this fall we are going to try to ignore these thoughts and support our classmates during their senior seasons.
This Saturday is the first home football game of the season under the lights at Memorial Field. Let's see if, as a student body, we can reverse the low attendance pattern at games and have just as many people cheering at the field as at the concert.
Big Green sports might not be why you came to Dartmouth, but for a student body that loves tradition, the true tradition of the Ivy League is often sadly overlooked.
