With my extended experience in college, I have come to realize that the most illustrious term in a school year is fall. A backbone to this argument is the presence of football games. I’m the type to wait in extremely long lines and even camp in the cold for tickets. All this is only a small price to pay for the merriment of tailgating and jolly inebriation that I can exude on this day of communal “festivus.” In Oct. 24’s Emerald I read an article expressing president Dave Frohnmayer’s concerns about “unclassy fan behavior.” In case anyone did not read this article (“Senate may discipline unacceptable fan conduct,” ODE Oct. 24), allow me to sum up its more alarming points.
The Student Senate sees the following as possibilities to stop or deter unruly Duck fans: more police enforcement, increased searches at the gates and revoking of incidental fee privileges, which to offenders could mean a seasonal ban on home games. Pause to ponder what this means to your potential freedom and liberty.
If indeed there is a problem with fan behavior, I do not believe that punishing citizens, like children, sends the right message. Much like desperate parents battling a rebellious adolescent, the Senate seems over-eager to flex its muscle in this matter. Someone much wiser than me once said “a good government is one that is known but not felt.” Mr. Brown (a Senator who advocated strong action) and others, please realize that the best way to show your political strength is to show compassion for the people you represent and instate civil limitations only as a last resort. Attempt to show good faith in the people you stand for. There are a considerable amount of ways to go about securing an enjoyable atmosphere at sporting events without taking away civil liberties. One non-invasive idea is a public notice such as this one, asking for cooperation and moderation by students at events.
Another possibility could be to have announcements on the loudspeaker and Jumbo-tron to promote good fan behavior and community spirit. A proactive approach could involve allowing coach Bellotti to speak or have a recorded message of such behavior issues addressed before the game. Most of the fans would respect such an authority, and heed issues that may have been forgotten because of their implicit nature. Before moving to policies that could misallocate funds, cause lawsuits and cast a general dark cloud over Autzen, I would attempt a try at building community spirit and bringing people together rather than apart.
Of course my solutions could be a reflection of this town’s arguably over-the-top “let’s all hold hands and sing” view, but I believe it is worth giving these possibilities a chance before moving to more personally infringing policies.
Rich Hildreth is a University student.