New Black Hole policies limit student enjoyment

Savannah Libby | The Chronicle

Having a competitive spirit is part of what makes a great athlete.

Now hear me out, a part of what draws people towards Mason is not only our academics but also our athletics. Mason has always been one of the best sports schools in the state, with eight out of the nine fall sports winning the Greater Miami Conference.

So it begs the question of why Mason is becoming so concerned with the public image it has that it is suppressing the competitive spirit of athletes?

Next year, our student section, the Black Hole, is turning into a club. Although the club will likely result in female leaders, a positive change, the regulations barely allow for any chants at games.

Sports are entertainment; the biggest reason that people go to sporting events is to be entertained. Cheering on a team, rooting for the underdog, or seeing a team that has only been to the Superbowl three times try to finally take a trophy. If the cheering and energy are taken out of the crowd then what do people have left to come for?

I’m an athlete myself and some of the best games I can remember playing in are the ones where I am in constant conversation with the other team. Playing in games like that gave me an edge and pushed me to want to play more competitively. Along with games where my teammates would lose their minds on the bench.

Pulling energy from your teammates is good and typical in sports but having a student section should help some and all of the energy should not just come from the bench. Having that thought in mind, why are the leaders of the black hole given so many restrictions?

Correct me if I am wrong, but the point of a student section is to cheer on the athletes and encourage friendly competition.

Right now, at least to me, it seems that the student section is proceeding to sit in silence. There is low attendance at games, even with the level of competition or talent individual players have currently. If students are not permitted to cheer and have fun at games, then games will become a ghost town. I have a hard time believing the blame is completely on the shoulders of the student body.

If the reason that students go to games is for entertainment, then why are the restrictions moving closer towards limited school spirit and interaction? When the Black Hole does attend, restrictions have the hands of the leaders tied.

The focus of administration should be on the students and less on politics. I mean when it comes down to it students are just attending the games to have fun, hang out with friends, or support an athlete. Sports are about energy and having fun, so I wonder why is that in the process of being revoked.