ISU school spirit is hard to find around campus, students should try to add to it

School spirit has lost is its luster across the campus of Indiana State University. On any given day, you will see more IU, Purdue and Notre Dame shirts, hats and accessories than Sycamore blue. In fact, on some days, I feel like I am going to Texas University or Ohio State with the amount of longhorn silhouettes or large red "O's" that I see scurrying to class. What gives?

I know everyone has a right to appreciate any college team they want and will continue to support their teams faithfully. I understand this by being a Syracuse basketball fan, but I would never wear my Orange apparel to an ISU event or game-I just can't do that. But I also cannot believe that every Texas, Duke, or North Carolina hat or shirt I see is worn by a diehard fan. It is as if the students of ISU are simply wearing the colors and insignia of the school they really wanted to attend.

For the incoming students, know this: you chose to come here and probably for a myriad of reasons, but to simply insult the school by never supporting them does not do anyone any favors. School spirit amongst the student body can create a lively experience and a club that everyone belongs to. I have traveled to many other campuses across the country and for the most part, pride in the university is much stronger. But I am not talking about IU or Illinois, I am talking about schools just as small and unknown as ours.

At an Eastern Michigan football game, the stands were packed in white and green with variations of eagles flying off the shirts through the crowd, and the team had a losing record. Western Illinois was drowning in purple and gold to the point I thought I had stumbled onto an LSU football game. Youngstown University had only won two football games when I saw them, yet on a bitterly cold day, the Penguin nation was decked to the hills in red and black supporting their floundering team.

A lot of students have told me it is hard for them to be supportive of any losing team at ISU, and it is frustrating to see teams lose week in and week out. That is tough, but also part of being a fan. Wouldn't some support go a long way to help support our teams?

With the ridiculous prices set by the bookstore, some of the ISU gear is extremely overpriced and being on a budget can hurt the opportunity to stock up on any Sycamore gear. Now, I am not suggesting you should wear blue and white everyday before class and games, but showing some pride from time to time would be nice. You can find cheaper shirts at the mall and "super-shopping" centers in town if you want a more frugal option.

Just remember: your time here could be some of the best years of your life, educationally and socially. You might look back on these memories one day and take pride in the school that made it all happen for you.