Sports have always been a great unifier, and after the events that took place on Wednesday afternoon, DePauw needs sports right now more than ever.
After a protest that broke up our community and caused distress, sometimes the thing people need most is something to rally behind and support. The Tigers can be that rallying point as we move forward. We may all come from different upbringings and have different backgrounds, but by coming to DePauw, we’re all Tigers.
We can put aside our differences for a few hours, unite in support of the Tigers against a North Coast Athletic Conference rival and forget, for a little while, about the pain our community is feeling.
Sports also bring with them a sense of normalcy and familiarity. One of the most calming things for me to see after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 was Major Leaguers returning to the field just days after the events. It helped the country get going again.
What happened on Wednesday wasn’t anything like those terrorist attacks, but the uneasy feeling I’m experiencing right now is not unlike what I felt after those events took place.
Seeing the Tigers take the field would indicate to me that life goes on. Sure, we have issues that need to be addressed and we will get to them, but we’re going to move forward and continue living right now.
At a time like this, athletics may seem trivial, but in my opinion, they aren’t. The Tigers are something that defines DePauw, and we can’t let these events take that away from us.
So get out there, show support, paint your face, get rowdy and let a little frustration and anger out on the team the Tigers are facing.
DePauw teams don’t play at home again until Saturday, when the men’s and women’s soccer squads open NCAC play against Oberlin College at Reavis Stadium and I can’t think of a better thing to do than to go out and show support for our school.
Sunday may be the best time to come together as a University, when the junior varsity football team hosts rival Wabash College. It’ll be even better for us to unite in support of the Tigers and in disgust of the Little Giants. I’d hate to see our shared dislike of the boys from up north be tamed by the events of this week.
There are a lot of really good teams to get behind right now. The football team is 2-0 and probably has the best shot to win back the bell that they’ve had in years. Men’s soccer has just one loss and is coming off of an upset over the sixth ranked team in the country last weekend.
So even though it might not seem like it, we can’t forget that there are still positive things taking place on our campus right now.
And in the end, the results don’t really matter. Sure, they are important to the teams as they push toward their ultimate goal, but for the students, coming together and showing support is all that really matters.