The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Steve Root Aaron LaPlante [Click to enlarge]

School spirit can not only be purchased, but also it can be played on your iPhone. Apparently, hundreds of universities have sold the rights of their sacred alma mater's song, and now, corporate America has found another way to sell "tradition" to the masses.

But how many Saint Louis University students would do this? How many even know what our fight song is? I don't.

It seems school spirit, especially with athletics, is something not only prevalent but also profitable at other schools in America, but I can't think of any way besides the merchandise sold at the bookstore that SLU students put their money down to don the blue and white.

Would students spend their money to wear the SLU colors if it were more widely offered? Would they be proud to walk the streets of St. Louis displaying support for a basketball team that, while doing its best, hasn't cracked the top 25 in years?

Other schools, with much worse records than the Billikens, can draw big crowds at games, so why can't we?

Some might say SLU students' lack of pride exists because of our lack of football, while others say it's because men's basketball can only deliver an average season at best-even with a big-name coach. But are SLU students really that apathetic when it comes to supporting their university's athletics?

Then I remembered what I felt when I went to visit my friends at Mizzou. In Columbia, they have something called "game day," which is just any other "Saturday" on SLU's campus.

It seemed that the whole school was, in one way or another, participating in game day. Whether it be going to the actual game, watching it at a local bar or even watching it on TV with friends, this whole campus was hyped for the game.

And it's not like they had an amazing team. Everyone knew they would probably lose, but no one seemed to care.

SLU undoubtedly needs a game day, or something like it. The school has made a few desperate attempts at raising spirit with things like Billiken Blue Out, but they never amount to anything.

We need something that will inspire students to support our school, something that's going to make the students want to pack the house at all SLU sports.

Next year, we're going to get an instant shot in the arm with the introduction of an on-campus arena. So the distance is not an excuse anymore.

So, students: Grab a couple friends, answer that Billiken ring tone you just downloaded and head to a SLU competition, because it's up to you to form the community that will celebrate the perennial holiday that is game day.


Aaron LaPlante is a senior in the John Cook School of Business.

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