By Jill Baker Asst. news editor
Susquehanna is home to more than 2,000 students, but at any given event seeing over 200 people in attendance is rare.
School spirit in a general sense is present on our campus. Speaking to students, you will hear them emphasize how great the school is in academics, faculty, opportunities and so many more specialized things. However, when it comes to attending events, our community could definitely improve.
When I was a senior in a small high school I knew I wanted to come to a university that was known for excitement and spirit for activities on campus. I love everything about this campus and school but I wish others vocalized their excitement similarly. I am somewhat disappointed in the lack of a large student section at sporting events, audience for performances and attendance at school hosted events.
I realize that I am just a voice complaining about this, but I believe it is simply a stigma. Students know that there is this reputation, but when speaking to the same students they will repeat that they would enjoy going to events if other people attended as well.
Circular reasoning is a huge player in the situation. If a student does not go to an event because they don’t want to be the only person there, then the other students who feel the same way will also not attend. If students were to step up and realize that if you come out and represent, it will cause more people to come out because now there are other people there.
Breaking the cycle and creating a recognizable force on campus will raise the excitement of not only other students but also the people putting in all the hard work and effort in their performance, whether it be on the field or on the stage.
Students work so hard training and practicing and deserve to be recognized. It is clear that we are not comparable to a big campus like Penn State, but as a Division III school we should still hype up our school the best we can—even though our local Weis store has more Penn State items for sale than Susquehanna items.
It has been said many times that Susquehanna students are special; most have kind hearts, great goals and friendly personalities. With this in mind, I think it is reasonable to expect, and entirely possible to create, a spirited school that has great attendance and gets students excited to do things with good vibes and energy.
There are many organizations on campus that are run by students for the students, such as the Student Activities Committee and Support U, whose goals are to develop more involvement and excitement. Support U hosts pop-up games such as black-outs to create a larger student section at athletic events. SAC is a school-funded organization that brings large events to campus, from bubble soccer on Smith Lawn to the spring concert.
There is no lack of fun things to do on our campus here in the small town of Selinsgrove. What needs to change is the idea that you cannot be the first one at an event. To create the atmosphere that many students want, we all need to take the first step to be a part of the fan base.
In the words of the French playwright Charles-Guillaume Étienne, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
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