Students who attended the Washburn-Emporia State match Friday night missed one heck of a second game.

No, that’s not a typo. I can only assume the students who showed up for the match must have been asleep for the first two games. During the first, the game seemed more like an Emporia State home game than a senior night game against a hated rival… not to mention the team playing was the most successful team at WU and the only to make it to the postseason.

In the second game, it became apparent where the student section was SUPPOSED to be. Aside from about 15 students that stood up to cheer and made a gaggle of grandmas behind them move up a few rows, the student section was anything but raucous. It wasn’t until some time around the third game, following a Washburn romp, that a more concerted effort was made. Led by a member of WSGA, who apparently had more spirit than anyone in attendance, the crowd of students moved behind the Emporia State team, opposite the ESU student section, but seemingly only with the promise of free pizza. The bleachers were pulled down and the student section moved up to get out of the zone of play, but even then a group of students (some of whom were Washburn athletes) still sat down instead of standing and making noise.

While I know that several student organizations are putting forth a strong effort to increase student support at sporting events, they can’t do it alone. Students have to realize that going to a game requires some responsibility on their part. They have to be willing to have fun.