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Students need more school spirit at games

By Hope Eckley, Staff Writer

Newman University is a great school, and I have enjoyed my first semester here. However, I have noticed that sports seem to not be prioritized.

As a college athlete, the games are more fun when the crowd is loud and involved. I have attended basketball, soccer and wrestling events this year, and sadly, the crowds are usually small.

A big problem for attendance is that many students do not live on campus and most, including me, do not want to commute back to Newman after they are finished with classes and practice.

However, I think the teams will be more successful if the crowd is full of students. If the games were promoted more and involved events throughout the game that students could participate in, Newman’s attendance for games would increase.

I have struggled to attend games this semester mainly because I do not want to go unless I know that my friends or teammates are going. The games would be more intriguing to me as a student if there was a student section at every home game.

I have attended basketball games at Newman, and the stands are nearly empty. I can not imagine what it would be like to play on a court with hardly any fans cheering.

It was easy for me to attend games at my old school because it was a junior college in a small town, and almost everyone lived on campus. The games were packed and were always fun to attend.

It is hard to play on a silent field or in a silent gym. Students should be proud to attend their university and should show their pride by supporting their teams.

If Newman could find out what the students like to draw them in, it might bring a larger crowd to the games. Newman could do themes for every game, host halftime activities or even occasionally hand out free t-shirts.

Although there are things that Newman could  improve on to promote their sports, it is ultimately up to the students to be willing to go out of their way to support their school throughout the week.

PHOTO: Courtesy Photo, Newman University