Discussion: High School Student Sections

[Charity Sweigart]

High school students cheering on their team. Sounds like a simplicity of life, right? Recently, my high school, Lancaster Catholic, has been listed as a "bad student section" in reference to a cheer made at a game against our rival high school, Columbia. The Columbia students had egged us on throughout the game through chants and had shown up to the game in OUR school uniforms. When we retaliated with a chant of "Food Stamps", it made the papers. We regret using the cheer, but we got caught up in the heat of the moment in a high school rivalry. I am not about to defend our right to use this cheer. It was inappropriate, and we all later realized it. We were reprimanded at an assembly by our principal. We, through a teacher, proceeded to have a meeting with the principal and explained our position. We invited our principal to sit in the student section at a game. To feel the energy and have the comments of another student section directed toward you personally and your friends out on the court.

A week later, we played Columbia in another basketball game, this time in our home gym. Our principal sat with us. He felt the energy and participated in our cheers. He even taught us one. We cheered our team to victory. It was Senior Night that night, and the senior players were introduced with their parents. A friend of mine, Simon, is a senior. He is our starting center, standing at 6'7". As his parents (NOT HIM) were introduced, the Columbia student section booed them. Simon's little brother asked his grandfather, "Why are they booing my mom?" Ridiculous, No? The students proceeded to chat the phrase, "Simon Sucks" throughout the entire game, save for the fourth quarter when Simon silenced them with several well placed shots(and dunks).

Then, in the paper yesterday, an article surfaced. It detailed COLUMBIA as a model student section and our student section as a disgrace to high school sports. I don't know about you guys, but this does not seem proper. It went on further to say that our principal reprimanded us in the beginning of the fourth quarter. This statement was absolutely false. He was simply leading the cheer he had taught us, a chant of "Fie upon you, Fie upon you, May your efforts come to naught" (a Shakespeare reference).

Then, a classmate(and friend) of mine wrote to the journalist that wrote this article, pointing out the flaws. The journalist replied and basically went against EVERYTHING he had written in his article. Twisted journalism? Yes, I'd say so. I do have to add, that due to another school activity, I did not attend the second game. I was at the first however. The facts that I have are from my friends and from the article. I do however know my classmates. I do realize that going to a private school, we are held to a higher perspective. However, strip away our uniforms and you will find regular teenagers. We are normal teenagers. Just because we aren't in public school does not mean that we are anything but normal. Oh, and I am writing a letter to the editor, about the twisted journalism, not the article itself. Having not been at the game, I would not have the authority to.


Anyone else think this is bull crap?

Also, if you would like to see the article, here is a copy.

Fan behavior losing favor at school games
Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA)

Publication Date: January 30, 2008
Tag: 677490000000.1082014
Section: A
Page: A1
Patrick Burns Intelligencer Journal Staff
PATRICK BURNS

It's often said that high school sports are an extension of the educational process, but the "Three Rs" in student-cheering sections these day could stand for rude, rowdy and reckless.

Zac Kraft, first year athletics director of Conestoga Valley High School, said fewer students attend Lancaster-Lebanon League games to cheer for their schools.

"I'm new to this, but I'm disappointed by some of the behavior I witness in the stands," Kraft said. "Many don't care what's going on on the court; they're focused on each other."

He and four other athletics directors say it's likely that schools here will embrace a stricter student fan policy similar to the one Cumberland Valley High School, Cumberland County, adopted this month.

The new rules prohibit face- and body-painting and clothing with profanity, derogatory terms or other "intimidating words, pictures or symbols." The rules also prohibit students from standing in the bleachers.

Punishments for violations range from being asked to leave a game to detention, suspension, banning from future athletics events and possible "police charges."

Steve Mumma, Hempfield High School's athletics director, said an incident between fans at the boys basketball game with Warwick last month led the school to ban prolonged standing at games.

Hempfield students chanted "go home racists,'' a reference to a pair of racially motivated incidents in the Warwick School District in October, which led to the arrest of Warwick students.

"We kind of had to read them the riot act, and they have been pretty good since then," he said.

Dan Baughman, Solanco High School athletics director said fans typically repeat innocuous phrases such as "push it" that when repeated loudly may sound vulgar.

Baughman said high school students these days emulate college student sections that can be crass and tasteless.

For instance, a sign from the Temple University student section displayed at Saturday's home game against crosstown rival St. Joseph's read:

"Not sure which is uglier your coach or your out of conference schedule."

Todd Reitnouer, Garden Spot High School's athletics director, said high school fans identify with Duke University students who stand and jump the entire game during games from Cameron Indoor Stadium.

"They call them the 'Cameron Crazies' and they scream and holler profanities at opposing players," Reitnouer said. "I guess at the college level that is somewhat expected, but that's not what we're trying to do here."

A sign on the wall behind the Lancaster Catholic High School student section at Monday's game against Columbia read "Crusader Crazies."

Senior Dan Mortensen and about 50 others in the section wore purple Lancaster Catholic shirts and vacillated between cheering for the home team and razzing the visiting squad by name in an organized, three-part cadence.

"Fans and fan-cheering are all part of a basketball game," Mortensen said.

A Lancaster Catholic official reprimanded the student section at the beginning of the fourth quarter of Monday's game.

Mortensen, whose sweaty No. 4 jersey provided evidence of the sauna-like conditions in the overflowing gym, said high school fans deserve more respect.

"No one in college basketball is told that they need to be quiet and sit down like they do at high school games," Mortensen said.

Like Hempfield, Lancaster Catholic students drew wide attention for a demeaning cheer in the waning moments of a loss to Columbia Jan. 4. The Lancaster Catholic student section chanted "food stamps,'' perhaps suggesting that Columbia students were poor.

Mortensen said the Lancaster Catholic students made an "ignorant statement" out of frustration that they regret.

"It was not one of the greatest things to say, but in the moment it was kind of hard to figure out what to say." Mortensen said.

All schools in the Lancaster-Lebanon League are required to read a code of conduct to fans before each game that prohibits vulgarity and negative cheering.

"The spectators are so used to hearing it read that they're talking through it," Baughman said.

But some people counter that rowdy fans, crude cheers and inappropriate behavior is nothing new, even in Lancaster County.

A former L-L League female athlete remembers students in the 1990s mocking Lancaster Mennonite High School students by wearing coffee filters on their heads at field hockey games.

Matt Groom, a Columbia senior attending Monday's game at Lancaster Catholic, said that while the "food stamp" cheer was a bit classless, overall fan behavior at games is about supporting their team.

"I'd say only about 15 percent of cheering is negative, most of the activity is focused on school spirit," Groom said.

[Lilyth Moss]

[/ul]

[Jonathan Markel]

I"m honestly more angry about the journalist going against his piece. Like I said, I wasnt at the second game, so I cannot and will not comment on the behavior there. The first game, emotions were running high, I will not deny that fact. In the heat of the moment, stuff happens. Also, this isnt about the cheerleaders, its about the students that go to the games to cheer on the team. ie. Student Section. We are sending letters to the journalist and the editor. We(Columbia and LC) both made bad desisions. Haha. Mots games are fun, and our cheers are usually legit.

Thanks for your input.

[Jaedyn Westerfield]

okay ... real quick, first of all
don't write this letter to the editor while you're still mad.
1) a letter inspired by pure fury could make you fit this journalist's description perfectly
2) you might regret things said in the end
cool off a bit; roleplay some first (not a hint xD that's literally what I do when I'm mad); just relax
after thinking over the situation, calmly state your opinion and point out why you feel this way.

second
this is awfully sad, but
as your school gets yelled at for cheering at basketball games ...
our school's 'Krazies' get yelled at for not cheering.
xD it's rather upsetting, actually
I--personally--couldn't join the 'Krazies' [volentary "cheerleaders" for the basketball season] this year, simply because I couldn't make the games. I live 30 minutes from town >.> I was planning on going with the pep band, but atm ... we're not entirely formed yet xP
talk about disorganized, eh?

Third, yeah, I agree with you.
There is absolutly NO reason for the other fans to have boo'd a players parents, let alone for them to shout rude cheers and anything of the like.
I've been there, though it wasn't as bad, but I know sort-of what it feels like.
Just try to think before you guys cheer, even though it's hard to have a huge bunch of students that are currently fuming actually think before the retaliate. I suggest going on as if they hadn't made rude comments, or, keep cheering 'acceptable' cheers only uber-loudly to drown them out. ;]

Good luck, and cheer extra loud for me!
o.o
=P

[Charity Sweigart]

haha i saved the message and sent it to friends to see if it sounded OK. People said it did, and now ill post it here::

To the Editor;

I am writing to you in regards to Patrick Burns’ article in January 30th’s paper entitled Fan behavior losing favor at school games.

I am a senior at Lancaster Catholic High School. I would first and foremost like to point out that due to other school activities; I did not attend either of the two Columbia – Lancaster Catholic games. As such, I will not comment on anything that was said or happened at either game, as I only have second hand experience with the matter. I am however writing to you about what happened after. A classmate of mine, Mike Gramola, emailed Mr. Burns about the article, pointing out several flaws within the piece. Mr. Burns responded promptly, but after reading both emails and Mr. Burns’ article, I can not help but notice several flaws within Mr. Burns’ article and the email he sent to Mike. I have attached the emails for your reference.

For starters, in his email Mr. Burns states that he couldn’t hear what the Columbia students were saying. Lancaster Catholic’s gymnasium is small by high school gym standards. If he could hear what we, Lancaster Catholic, were saying, he could hear what Columbia was saying. Mr. Burns was correct in stating that our principal, Mr. Dermot Garrett, did reprimand not only the student section, but the entire student body. However, this did not occur at the beginning of the fourth quarter. It had occurred a week earlier at an assembly at school. At the start of the final quarter, Mr. Garrett was in actuality leading the students in a cheer.

Secondly, I am outraged by the article’s portrayal of the Columbia student section as “model”. Although the article does not directly state this, it is inferred. I am not, nor will I ever, state that Lancaster Catholic has a model student section. No school does. However, Mr. Burns makes no mention of the Columbia student section “boo”ing not just our players but our players’ parents. This is a two way street. If Mr. Burns went after Lancaster Catholic’s student section, he should have mentioned Columbia’s behavior as well.

When two rival high schools come together at a sporting event, tensions will be high. Both sides do things that later they regret. The food stamps incident is regrettable. The Lancaster Catholic students involved were caught up in the heat of the moment. You may remember that last year, other high school students got caught up in the moment. Before the 2006 homecoming game, Manheim Township was defaced by graffiti. As I recall, the graffiti said “Township Sucks”. I use this to show an unbiased example of high school rivalry. Lancaster Catholic is not the only high school that gets caught up when going against a rival. Rivalries are also what make such games exhilarating.

I understand that, coming from Lancaster Catholic, our students are held to a higher standard. However, strip away our uniforms, and you will find normal teenagers. We are normal teenagers. We are nothing more, nothing less than common, ordinary teenagers. We can only hope that you, and others may see us like that.


what do you guys think??

[Jaedyn Westerfield]

I like it xP

also ...
our rivals soaped our school's front doors//windows [[ BIG WALL O' GLASS! .. -ish? ]] with pictures of their mascot and their school's name and things saying our school sucked.
they also silly-stringed our school signs in their school colors
and.
they vandalized a sign supporting our school that was hung at (and owned by) the Mountaineer.

... note that that last sign was not ours
haha .. they got in TROUBLE

anyway
the first few things was due to a track meet [yeah, i know ... not about football? o.O]
and the last one i have no cule what sport that was over

but
while i'm sure we've done things regrettable in the past as well ...
we've never vandalized some NON-HIGHSCHOOL STUDENT's sign.
geeze
..

xD
thought i'd add on?