Parking? $10. A Ticket to the Game? $5. A hotdog and soda at the concession stand? $50 [approximately]. A chance to see your Le Moyne Dolphins upset the mighty Orangemen in the loadhouse while enjoying game night with friends? Priceless, right?

Monday night, Le Moyne students dressed in their green and gold and traveled down Erie Boulevard to watch the men’s basketball team take on the Syracuse University Orangemen, and it was a great time despite the final score. There was so much student interest in the game that Campus Life and Leadership sold out seats, and then decided to buy another batch of tickets for the mile long waiting list.  

But why does this have to be a one night affair? Though this was only an exhibition game, SU students and fans alike came out in their Syracuse gear and face paint to celebrate the beginning of the Orange basketball season, and began the rituals that they will continue through March Madness. But can we [the students who drove ten minutes down the road to watch the game] claim the same fandom? Even if you’re not a sports fan, you can’t deny the excitement of sitting with a group of friends and fellow dolphins—cheering on your teammates and classmates on the field or the court.

At Le Moyne we don’t have a Football team, there is no Saturday tailgates or game day campus snapchat story. But we shouldn’t let that stop us from releasing our inner fanhood. It’s true that the city of Syracuse has a love affair with it’s SU athletics, and that many of us grew up as SU fans, and that we could name their star players, but could we recognize our own?

At Le Moyne we also have students athletes that put in the work day and night to excel at their sports. Who get up and lift at the crack of dawn and then spend the next three hours in class, to represent us and our college in their discipline. So why can’t we cheer them on more than one day a year? This is my call to arms fellow ‘Phins. Let’s break out the green face paint. Let’s put on our favorite Le Moyne t-shirts, walk two minutes down the hill to cheer on your neighbor down the hall, or the kid in your philosophy class. We may be small in numbers, but we’re a tight knit community.

We don’t have a student section? Let’s form one! No matching shirts? Let’s make some! No fan traditions? Let’s create them. If I haven’t convinced you yet, know this: the athletic department does not charge students for entry into sporting events. So cheering on your ‘Phin fam at home in their upcoming seasons? Actually Priceless.