If the student section did not include costumes like a man-sized strip of bacon, a ghillie suit, or a six-foot cutout of Coach Tharp, it would not be a Charger basketball game. Thankfully, Hillsdale students rarely leave this post unattended. But, as students who have adopted honor and virtue as a campus code of conduct, the way student fans taunt opposing players during games is embarrassing.
Games are public relations events, not just for Charger athletes, but for student fans also. Parents with their young Charger fans, respected professors, and families of the opposing teams are subjected to student section tastelessness. The choral reprimands that attack opponents’ family members, sexuality, and physical appearance make Hillsdale students look boorish, unfunny, and definitely not virtuous.
Compared to other millennials, Hillsdale College students elect to study the higher things, pursuing an education that improves the heart and the mind. While the Charger basketball teams play with impressive sportsmanship, some Hillsdale students fail to reflect the same amount of respect. It’s a disappointment to see our entire school represented by a row or two of students that denigrate referees and opposing teams.
A passionate student section adds to the fun of basketball games and must increase the motivation to dunk in the final seconds of a nail-biter. A few boos to disrupt a free throw or to disapprove a bad call are expected reactions. Discouraging an airball chant would discourage the tradition of basketball fandom. But recall that more than five guys in a different uniform hear the vulgarities and caterwauls from the student bleacher — and that no one likes a mean piece of bacon.