School spirit at Fairfield has always been questioned. Countless ‘Letters to the Editor’ and Facebook messages have filled inboxes and conveyed a sense of desperation and doubt. While we are certainly not at a UConn, Syracuse, or Penn State, it does not mean that we do not have school spirit here.
I believe that it is different for us than those schools. We do not pack the stands consistently. We do not host ESPN Gameday before our home games. We are not like that, in terms of school spirit. But still, there is pride on this campus in our athletics. The pride comes from those of you who can lift weights up in Walsh, to those of us stuck with the rusty RecPlex.
Friday night at Alumni Hall was the first, and last, home game of the season for the men’s basketball team on campus. The stands were packed and the gym floor was shaking from the thunderous chants and cheers from students. It was a great atmosphere for Stags basketball. Despite the loss, there we several glimmers of hope among Stags spirit.
It was great to see face paint again, and actually, even some full-body paint for the game. The pep band has never sounded so good, the dance team performed a great routine and the cheerleaders threw free shirts into the stands. Wow, who knew Alumni Hall was rated by Sports Illustrated as one of the most difficult places to play for an opposing team over 20 years ago.
But Friday was a look into the past, where terrible towels were waved by every student, and the basketball team could score more than 50 points. The men’s and women’s soccer teams both were called to center court to receive congratulations from fans and University President Father Jeffrey von Arx himself after their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championship season at halftime. The players were all smiles as fans showed their appreciation.
The highlight of the night was when the girls basketball team arrived from their travel home from Poughkeepsie, where they ‘shocked the world’ and beat Marist, the number twenty team in the nation with a 35-game win streak in the MAAC conference. The crowd erupted with cheers and a standing ovation. What a great moment of pride for the women’s team, who continue to seek a fan base and support of the student body. They certainly had it on Friday night.
Fairfield students have caught the school spirit bug, or at least are starting to show the symptoms. But I don’t think we get enough credit for it by student leaders or the administration. Just because we aren’t showing up at every athletic event, or attending a random mid-day pep rally in the Barone Campus Center doesn’t mean we don’t care about our Division I athletes.
Our pride is in many things: club sports, intramurals, theater performances, student government, campus ministry groups, honor societies and jobs.
Think about it, when your friends ask about Fairfield and its nightlife, isn’t it exciting talking about what townhouse you went to, or how you made it home alive after walking home from the beach all the way back to campus at 4 a.m.?
Beer Olympics in Regis, sketchy Fairfield Cab drivers…there is definitely pride there!
When your grandparents ask about your service trip that you are raising money for, you can feel the excitement and pride they have for you and for Fairfield.
As a tour guide explains to curious parents about the Department of Public Safety winning the Jeanne Clery Award, their eyes light up and they are quick to show their amazement.
The student government organizations on our campus have tons of members who have pride in representing the student body. Do you think Girl Talk would have happened if the Class Council of 2010 didn’t want to honor the requests of the junior class?
There is pride here at Fairfield. There is school spirit. So give us a break, administration. We are Stag Crazy.
Stag Crazy for IRHA.
Stag Crazy for the Crew Team.
Stags spirit is alive and well. Show your excitement however you choose, and don’t be afraid to body paint for your club. Imagine that, body paint for your SOBOG meeting.
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