The Online Reflector

Inspired by the vision that our president has for the University of Indianapolis, one day I looked up at Key Stadium, and I had a dream.
In my dream, the Greyhound football team played under Saturday night lights, cheered on by a block of nearly hoarse college-aged students. From the black rail to the press box, the entire middle section of the stands was overcrowded with standing bodies that would move in strategic unison at times and erupt in chaos at other times.
They might be tired, they might be cold, they  might be sleep deprived or stressed about Monday’s test, but all of those thoughts would be left behind. For a few hours, problems would not matter. They would be warded off by the intensity of the game and, perhaps, the effects of pre-gaming for those over 21.
This pre-gaming would have been part of an ongoing game day party that started in the morning and continued throughout the day.
There would be music and corn hole,  and I wouldn’t be able to walk down the sidewalk of any street in University Heights without hearing someone yell “Go Hounds!”  The parking lot behind the stadium would be filled with people grilling. The shelves of the neighborhood Wal-Mart would be emptied of all the bratwurst and hot dogs they once held, and the aroma of game day would drift up to please the college football gods.
Flags would be flown, signs would be made, war paint would be applied, food would be eaten, beer would be drunk, live Greyhound dogs would be patted for good luck, chants would be chanted and the whole campus would be alive.
Then, as so often occurs in dreams, I was moved without notice or knowledge from my position looking up to the very top bleacher looking down. The field would be solemn, the crowd silent and every player bent on a knee in post-game prayer, bowing in respect to the heritage of the university.
At the end of the day, it’s all about pride. To me, that’s why universities emphasize football games and other athletic events. They spend millions of dollars on athletic programs to create pride in the athlete and in the student so that when they’ve graduated they will look back on the experiences they had and the memories they made and be proud they spent four or five years as a Greyhound.
The table has been set for us as students. Faculty and staff have done their part from game day operations to alumni operations and everything in between.  President Manuel has shown his support through events like last year’s car smash. All that’s missing is the student body moving en masse to support the school.
So from now on, when your roommate says, “Let’s go tailgate,” cut your nap short and enjoy the fall weather. When your head hurts from studying for Monday’s test, take a three-hour break and allow yourself to be entertained by one of America’s favorite sports. When your friend from a bigger school tells you to come check out their school, tell them to come check out UIndy. The tailgating spots are marked off, the venues are open and the responsibility to make athletic events an unforgettable UIndy experience lies squarely on the shoulders of the students.