This weekend I went to my first Big Ten football game, and I was so excited to be going - unfortunately, the experience was bittersweet. I loved singing the cheers, roaring with my claw out, listening to the band and hollering with everyone else in the student section when our team made a particularly good play or scored points.
But I spent so much of the time feeling embarrassed for Northwestern that it was hard to enjoy the rest of the experience. I wasn't embarrassed because we lost, and cheers like "Appalachian State!," "A__hole! A__hole!," "F___ Michigan" and "Muck Fichigan" didn't bother me in the slightest. What bothered me was the portion of the crowd that seemed determined to make everyone on the yellow and blue side think that Northwestern is the most pretentious school in the Big Ten.
And how did they do this? Firstly, with the practice of key-shaking before kickoffs, which implies that Michigan students will eventually become our valets. This one was encouraged in a video at a mandatory EssentialNU for all freshman, although its meaning was not explained. Even more disgusting was the accusatory cheer of "State school! State school! State school! State school!" with an accompanying hand gesture (back and forth at the elbow to indicate that you, not us, are enrolled in the lowly state school), and I heard that in another section students were boasting "Higher GPA! Higher GPA!"
Where do I begin? To start I'll say that there were students in my graduating high school class who were admitted into Rensselaer, Cornell, and even NU itself, but are now attending our state university because if they had enrolled at those elite institutions, their parents would have had to quit eating. We all know that the decision to go to state school is often more about money than smarts. Do we really want to parade ourselves as the kind of kids who judge people based on their parents' incomes? Personally, I don't think that's much better than being racist, sexist or anti-Semitic. But aside from that, what the hell do money or GPAs have to do with football? While we waste our breath acting like stuck-up, bigoted pricks, Michigan's over there saying, "What do we care if you're a private university? This is a football game, we're the ones winning, and you're just a bunch of snobs."
And how did I feel when we finally lost the game? I felt that as long as our cheers are what they are, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
- grayson vreeland
Communications freshman
Spring Break
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Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 10
David Murphy
posted 10/02/07 @ 12:31 PM CST
Welcome to Northwestern, Grayson. Here's a hint: if you remove the stick lodged up your backside and have a little fun, you'll enjoy your next four years at this lovely institution. (Continued…)
Yikes
posted 10/02/07 @ 7:16 PM CST
Relax. If you're choosing to take an NU football game this seriously, I shudder to think of how you're approaching your studies and social life. We jingled our keys at Duke, too - and I fully expect to be working for them someday. (Continued…)
loser
posted 10/02/07 @ 11:01 PM CST
good thing you didn't go to LSU or you would be writing an entire paper on this subject. Secondly, MAIZE and Blue not yellow and blue, my god, dont humiliate yourself. (Continued…)
Student
posted 10/02/07 @ 11:54 PM CST
I think you've brought up a good point. What good comes from football games anyway, other than the chance to get intoxicated and eat nutritious foods before the game? Could the time and money spent on college sports be spent in a way that actually benefited the student and furthered the universal goal of personal improvement? Why do we go to college in the first place? Is it to grow intellectually, creatively; to debate socially apt issues with friends and professors; to get piss-drunk every weekend? And where do football games fall into those goals?
David Murphy
posted 10/03/07 @ 2:19 AM CST
Yes! Exactly! ELIMINATE EVERYTHING THAT DOESN'T CONTRIBUTE DIRECTLY TO STUDENTS' EDUCATIONS. IT IS THE ANSWER. Brilliant. Case closed.
Also, I think Northwestern needs uniforms; non-standard clothing only disrupts the learning process. (Continued…)
Angry Alumnus
posted 10/03/07 @ 3:07 PM CST
Grayson, I respect your opinions, but you should hear what's said at other schools. Not saying it's right or wrong, but what we say is HARMLESS compared to the crap slung at us by fans from Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and any other Big Ten school. (Continued…)
Beware of Me
posted 10/03/07 @ 3:29 PM CST
So hold on, let me get this straight...
You were fine with us calling opposing fans an anal orifice and a symbol of coitus in front of families. But when we reinforce the fact that they go to a state school, whoa, hold up, that's where I draw the line. (Continued…)
Allyson
posted 10/05/07 @ 2:45 PM CST
Grayson-
I have to agree with you specifically on the issue of swearing at football games. Even after being here for three years, I still take issue with the vulgar and often highly offensive language that is used by supporters of both teams during football games. (Continued…)
ummmm
posted 10/05/07 @ 5:51 PM CST
Watch this youtube clip and then you will understand
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fVdoA0zIm0c
We definitely don't do this at our games.
We might say some stupid things every once in a while, but our fans are INCREDIBLY polite compared to the rest of the big ten. (Continued…)
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