Ed Board overlooks some

In response to the editorial in Tuesday’s edition ofThe Daily Campus:

As a senior sorority member, a faithful Virginia Tech andRedskins football fan and the owner of a $250 designer purse, I amdeeply offended and disappointed with Ed Board’s judgmentaland negative analysis: Ass interference: Conversation withfemale fans distracts from the game, printed in Tuesday’sThe Daily Campus.

It is in this article that some of the blame forSaturday’s 44-0 loss to TCU is attributed to female fans. Notonly are we condemned for not motivating the players, or rather notcorrectly motivating them, but we are once again attacked for ourpersonal retail purchase preferences and choice ofconversation.

Apparently, the author believes that owners of designer labelssuch as Louis Vuitton, Prada and Gucci would better serve SMUdrinking away in a bar than showing support at an SMU footballgame. Or wait, here’s a better option — prostitutingthemselves on Harry Hines. (By the way, when have you ever seen ahooker in designer labels, except for Julia Roberts in PrettyWoman?)

The truth is SMU had a pretty darn good showing of students tosupport a team with an unfavorable record, males and females alike.Each of these students paid at least $20, drove 40 miles to TCU andsubjected themselves to 92-degree heat to cheer on ourMustangs.

Multiple fraternities and sororities even went so far as to rentbuses to deliver their members safely to and from the game. Not tomention the numerous individuals who took initiative on theirown.

Now, I am not so naïve to think that there were notpossibly some ulterior motives in attending the game. The tailgateexperience alone might draw some to Fort Worth, not to mention thedesire to reunite with old high school friends at TCU or merely asense of obligation as a student leader. One thing is for certain alove for football and a commitment to our team does not fill thestands, at least at SMU. I love football, but even the mostpassionate of sport enthusiasts do not TiVo SMU football games.

Regardless of the reasons we congregate to cheer in the name ofPeruna, what is important is that the football season provides anenvironment where every student, faculty, staff, alumni, as well asmembers of the Dallas community can join forces, united under thecommon spirit of competition.

And although we’d all enjoy a ‘W’ on ourrecord, our desire and need for fellowship transcends thescoreboard. So no matter what brings you to The Boulevard, FordStadium or even TCU, I am glad you came.

I don’t care what brings you there. It doesn’toffend me if you choose to wear a cocktail dress instead of a redT-shirt. And although the athletic department and the playerssurely disagree, as far as I am concerned you can even leave athalftime to go grab a burger and fries. However, this does not meanI believe our fans are free from accountability.

Unfortunately, the author, as well as those who endorsed thestatements, sacrificed a great opportunity to critique our studentbody. It seems as though the authors themselves were too distractedby the overwhelming exterior beauty of SMU’s femalepopulation to give notice to the incredibly embarrassing internalugliness of some of our male students (emphasis on”some”).

The true problem of Saturday’s game was not in the score,and certainty not that SMU women were “flaunt(ing) it andwalk(ing) the sidelines like a $2 hooker on Harry Hines,” asthe author suggests. The real problem was the pompous,disrespectful language and attitude of some of the”gentlemen” representing and defending our school.

Never have I heard the f-bomb used in so many contexts and asprofusely as I did during the TCU game. Not only was it used infrustration of our team performance, it was most dishearteninglyused towards innocent security personnel and opposing fans,including young children. Forget the personal offense I took. Youngchildren should not hear that language spoken as if it were acommon cliché.

While the Ed Board did neglect this shameful display, theyshould count themselves lucky for missing out. And while I am leftwith frustration after reading their article, I do admit that theyat least did get one thing right — “playing sports incollege, especially football, is a privilege.” Even more sois the opportunity to merely attend SMU, an amazing privateuniversity in the beautiful, culturally enriching city of Dallas.With that in mind, I would sincerely appreciate it if Ed Boardwould cease its attempt to create a negative attitude regarding ourcollege experience, as well as stop continuing to foster one towardfellow Mustangs.

Personal preferences aside, we are all Mustangs. I challenge theauthors and all readers to stand firm in their identity. Be aMustang, and be yourself. And in both of those, be proud. Becausethere is nothing worse than feeling ashamed of who you are or whatyou’re a part of. I know, because I was on Saturday.

Katie Bibb is a senior psychology major. She can be reachedat [email protected].