In defense of fandom

This weekend was a momentous one in the world of Columbia sports. A sophomore ran a sub-four-minute mile. The men’s swimming team placed third at the Ivy Championships, and one junior on the team won the Ivy title. The women’s basketball team set a record for most wins in a season. Yes, it was a momentous weekend—but how many Columbia students shared in that moment? Columbia is not known for its school spirit. But that’s not to say that, this coming season, it can’t be.

Team spirit doesn’t magically manifest itself overnight. It can, however, slowly grow over the course of a season. For the players, the game means more, win or lose, if there’s a non-parental crowd to support it. And for students, the act of repeatedly showing up with a group of friends and getting to know the players over time builds investment and enjoyment regardless of whether the team ends up doing well—though the bonus of having witnessed a team triumph over an extended period of time certainly doesn’t hurt.

The teams that did exceptionally well this season weren’t necessarily the ones that most students generally head out to watch. However, had a group of students decided at the beginning of the season that they were going to support women’s basketball, they would have, in a way, been a part of a historically good season. That’s the chance that students have moving forward into this coming season, too. Pick a team and head out to support it.

For those students who complain about decentralization at all different levels at Columbia, we don’t seem to recognize that this is a relatively easy way to build a cohesive community. Going out to support teams—even the less visible ones—gives strength not only to the players, but to the ties that bind together the campus as a whole. And, if nothing else, there’s the chance to see somebody run a mile in under four minutes. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?