Stand up, students

Letter to the Editor written by Brett Rushing, senior communications studies major from Brandon, Miss. 

I’m standing at the season opener against Western Kentucky for the Southern Miss men’s basketball team. Throughout the game, many intense moments occur, and I find myself with a small group of friends and the baseball team cheering loudly for the Eagles. I then look behind myself to find that the majority of the student section, outside of one or two fraternity groups, are sitting on their hands looking like this sport is completely foreign to them. I then become embarrassed as I see sixty-plus-year-old men and women standing and cheering on the Eagles louder than the student section.  

    As a senior this year, I’ve dealt with success and failure in our basketball program. I’ve been through losses to Savannah State and Canisius (who is this, anyway?) and traveling all the way to Pittsburgh to watch our Eagles compete in their first NCAA Tournament in 20 years. And while we have not always had the most exciting brand of basketball under Eustachy, things have changed completely with Donnie Tyndall. The offense and defense he has brought to this program are exciting and fun to watch, and it’s time that the students support this team. We have a fun product on the court, and this team has already broken everyone’s expectations by being undefeated at this point early in the season. With the team still learning, we’re sure to be in for an exciting year of Southern Miss basketball.

    Students, it’s time that we stand up and support our team. Football obviously didn’t pan out like any of us wanted it to, so take all that excitement that we dearly hold onto for every fall Saturday, and let’s transfer it to basketball. There is no reason we should have to wait until mid-February when we host Memphis for there to be an electric atmosphere at Reed Green. Atmosphere starts with the students. We have got to stop relying on alumni to fill up the Greenhouse and take it over ourselves. You paid for your ticket with tuition. Use it. And don’t just go to the game and sit on your hands like you’re in a library. Stand up and scream.  Be loud. Put your hands up when we’re shooting free throws. Hover your arms above your head to the left then quickly throw them to the right when the opponent is shooting free throws. It sounds stupid, but it’s proven to distort the shooter’s perception, and they mess up. But it only works when everyone is involved, not just 10 people. Let’s chant “Defense!” Let’s get inside players’ heads. Let’s make Reed Green one of the toughest environments in the country.

    It starts with us students. It doesn’t start with alumni. I’ve sat three years now through a lackadaisical student section that looked like they didn’t know why they were there. It’s time to change that. Tonight we host Denver at 7. Let’s pack Tyndall Town (the student section) and support this team. Players want a blackout, so tonight remember to wear black, be loud, pack Tyndall Town, and stand up. It’s our time, students. Let’s make basketball games an event, not just another sport at Southern Miss. Let’s stand up students. Southern Miss TTTyndall!