I have had season tickets to Spartan Stadium since I was 4 and watched the loud and cheering student section with excitement. I remember saying to my parents as we watched from our seats that I was going to be a part of that. I wanted to be in the section where the band was and the team came over after a game to sing the fight song.

About the time when I was a senior in high school, I noticed some of my favorite chants being altered with swear words. In one year those traditional chants were no longer being played and while disappointed, I was thankful for that decision. Unfortunately, when I was accepted into MSU I no longer wanted to be a part of the student section. Their vulgarity had changed some of the traditions I loved. However, they were still the student section that was always filled every game, rain or shine, hot or cold.

Over the past couple of years I have noticed a decline in the student section. The upper deck is rarely filled and student numbers decline as the game goes on. By the time the games are finished and the team sings with the students, maybe a quarter of them remain. To those that stay, I thank you for always sticking it through for the team. To the others who have tickets and don’t show or who leave, you show little respect to the players. That greatly disappoints me.

So, I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived before the band took the field and saw the students had already filled out the lower deck and the upper deck was also starting to fill out. But as I looked over through the first quarter, the upper deck was not filled and, it never was. Students, I ask you, what is your excuse? Were you tailgating too long and too early? Was your MSU shirt in the wash? Did you not have a coat? More frustrating is that Saturday’s game was the last game most of you will be at for this season. The Minnesota game is after Thanksgiving and most of you will be home with your families. To have the upper deck consistently not filled and for the students to not be there for the whole Michigan game is a sad testimony to your loyalty and school spirit.

Student section of MSU, I challenge you to get your act together. There are a lot of other people who would love to be where you are if you don’t want to. And, perhaps it is time for Mark Hollis, Coach Dantonio, and President Simon to reassess the number of tickets available to the student section.