The netherworld commonly referred to as "heck" has reached the freezing point; for once I agree with our Department of Athletics. As a spectator, having to endure the crass verbal assault upon my eardrums of thousands of students viciously denigrating another athletic team is simply and purely offensive. Crudely put: Hearing a bunch of students yell "You Suck" at an opposing team is not good.
No matter what the athletic inadequacies of a school may be, polite and civil society does not condone the public acknowledgement of such failures. A student behaving in this way is anathema to the culture of civil behavior cultivated here at American University by our tireless, dedicated and talented campus staff.
However, the ban undemocratically and capriciously decreed by
athletics is not the solution. American University students are some of the most creative and imaginative people in the world. If they can transform Gary Glitter's magnus opus "Rock and Roll Part II" into an unsportsmanlike anthem, they can do that with anything. Indeed, it does not take a genius to cut a rather dirty limerick to our fight song. Sports fans will always come up with offensive chants against their opposing team.
I certainly hope that the dear reader does not think less of me for noticing this, or questioning my support of AU athletics.
This is the challenge for our Athletics Department: Don't dictate to students. Work with us. What athletics needs to do is to reach out to
Its natural partners in such an endeavor and work at developing a more civil society. Perhaps athletics needs to develop better cheers. I do not mean to offend anyone, but "Let's Go AU" is just a bit pedestrian. Indeed, my middle school basketball team had more creative chants than that.
In closing, I hope that when AU starts on the road to the final four that we may walk hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder cheering in a positive manner for the greatest basketball team in D.C.
Peter William Brusoe Ph.D. candidate, School of Public Affairs
