The Collegian

Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Sports

This was a tough weekend. Too many opportunities gone badly for the Charger football team in the waning minutes of their game versus the Eagles of Ashland University. Also, the Charger volleyball team experienced their third GLIAC loss for the first time in three years thanks to the Huskies of Michigan Technological University.

It wasn't the best weekend to be a Charger.

'What ifs' and pointing fingers won't change the GLIAC standings for either team, but there was an element missing from both games this weekend: fans. This is not a one-time problem relating to only this weekend either. Throughout this entire fall season, there has been a dramatic lack of student fans supporting the programs that build Hillsdale College as one of the greatest academic-athletic institutions in the country.

It's rare to see an athlete like senior linebacker Tom Korte, for example, who has several NFL scouts taking notice of him while juggling a biology major, chemistry minor and studying for entrance into dental school. Two-time first team all-GLIAC team member, senior setter Stephanie Booms, is another example of an athlete who performs at such a high level on the court and finishes an academic year off with a 3.944 grade point average. It is uncommon to see this and not enough students are taking advantage of our programs' greatness.

At the football game this past weekend, there were no more than 50 students in the Otter's Army student section. Two weeks ago against Northwood University was even worse - maybe due to poor weather. This weekend though, there were no excuses.

A red headed student wearing a black hoodie with blue flames on the arms and the hood wrapped around his head had the nerve to bring his Western Heritage book with him to the game. Every time I glanced over, his head was buried in documents of the past while our defense fought through one of the most impressive second half defensive stands I've seen in my four years at Hillsdale - in the present. To attend a game that will very well determine post-season destiny and choose to ignore it is disrespectful and disgusting.

A few hours later things were no different in Jesse Phillips Arena for the volleyball match. The diehard fans that support every chance they get were there, but it isn't enough. I have witnessed a packed gym for volleyball games in my time at Hillsdale and when opposing team's fan section, mainly made up of parents, is louder then the home-team's section, there's a problem.

Continued...

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