The lack of school spirit is more evident at football games than in any other arena on campus. Granted the stands were full for the first half of the Navy game, but as the Mustangs took the field after halftime, the empty seats in the student section were more disturbing than the game’s score.

When scanning the student section, eyes are not drawn to a sea of red and blue. Instead, overdressed students wearing every color imaginable chat on their cell phones. Although there are spirited students who douse themselves in Mustang apparel, their support is outshone by pastel sundresses and vibrant Polo shirts.

Saturdays have become a fashion show, the Boulevard a runway. Women prance from tent to tent in their Prada heels that inevitably sink into the ground, causing them to stumble. These same women have spent hours applying makeup that will only sweat off minutes after stepping into the Texas heat. The men look more like business professionals than football fans in their collared shirts and neckties.

So what’s the problem? Wearing school spirit could result in school spirit. If students would dress in $15 dollar SMU T-shirts rather than designer garb, they would be more comfortable to wait out the three-and-a-half-hour game.

Some might say that other schools have the tradition of dressing up for football games. Their circumstances, however, are different than those on the Hilltop. Our bank accounts and portfolios might be similar but the humid Texas heat cannot be compared to the cool climate of the Northeast Ivy League schools. And so our traditions must be as different as the temperatures.

Traditions are not made overnight, but if one group of students would stand up and wear an SMU T-shirt to the next game it would be a start. Leave your heels and ties at home and bring a T-shirt and school spirit with you.