For practically every home football game, our student section is packed. Many painted up in orange and black, some with towels or horns, but almost all of them with high spirits. It is basically a known fact that our students will be standing and screaming during the entire game. However, things are apparently different at away games.
Two weeks ago, Hoover played at Lake’s stadium. Most of the stadiums give our students a student section. Lake was a bit different. Our student section was in front of the General Admission section. So, naturally, parents and adults were sitting behind us. Our students arrived at the game with our usual obnoxious spirits and loud accessories. Because the parents were sitting behind us, they complained. Due to our standing and yelling, they couldn’t see the game. Which was understandable, but technically not our fault.
Most stadiums understand that students get excited at the games. They normally give us our own section, without parents and other various fans sitting behind us. Now, I can understand if there aren’t enough stands to provide us with our own section , but I thought they took it a bit far when Lake’s security guards threatened to throw us out of the game if we weren’t sitting.
Of course, when this event occurred, we were outraged. We barely listened to the security, claiming that they technically couldn’t throw us out on those grounds. Besides, it’s not like we were starting a riot. Anyone ever heard of freedom of speech? What happened to that right?
Although they weren’t actually taking away our right to yell and scream, they were still taking away something. It was even worse when we realized that Lake’s students could stand and scream all they wanted. Apparently, their screaming didn’t bother the other fans.
Now, before I get into a ranting and raving type of column, let me make my point. This column isn’t to complain about Lake or security or anything involving that game. This column is more about what happened after we were yelled at. Due to a few “brave” seniors, the students were eventually allowed to stand and yell. At first, we came to the agreement of being able to stand after every play. But, being high school students, we took too much advantage of that. Then, we were only allowed to stand if we were in the first three rows of bleachers. We squeezed about seven rows of students into just three. I was standing on top of people I barely knew. By that point though, it didn’t matter. It was no longer just about the game. It was more about showing our school spirit and gaining back what the security had originally taken.
By the end of halftime, security had practically given up. Half the students had also left, and the parents stopped complaining. We had made our point.
Like I said, this column isn’t just about the game. It’s about more than that. If our students hadn’t stood up for themselves, and for all of the students, half of our them would have spent the game sitting and staying quiet, while the other half ended up getting kicked out. And for what? Showing they supported their school?
That Friday night, our school proved that everyone deserves their freedom of speech. That is the one thing no one can take away from you.
I was always told as a child to stand up for what I believe in. I still hold that to be true. Perhaps more so now. If you don’t, who else will? After all, you have to stand up for something. Make it important.