Take a look into that depth that is your pocket. See the dust? Hear the crickets? Yeah, I do too. We all see that black hole where our money used to be. The college student culture is a broke culture. Otherwise, why would you need to be here?
Students are also cheap. We take advantage of more free stuff than LeBron James -- on the high honor roll.
Free clothes. Check. Free food. Double check. Free mini-Bibles. Hey, you would be surprised how many people take those little green Good Books.
Seems like everywhere you turn, someone is handing you something for nothing, and we are grabbing all we can get. We absolutely love the word "free."
This could be one reason why every time I go to a football game I hear at least one person, and usually several others, complain about the cost of attending sporting events. Granted, I don't want to spend any extra money than what Good Ol' State has already drained out of me. Every time I hear someone make a remark about this, though, I can't help but ponder several points.
First, the price of attending the events is ridiculous -- in a good way. There are three season-ticket offers sent to every student's home each summer: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. If you take advantage of those deals, it is only a dent of a little more than $200 to your checkbook.
For less than most people spend on Uncle Chen's and Taco Bell in a school year, you can attend 40 sporting events between August and March. That is, if your stomach can handle 18 men's basketball games. Oh, did I mention the men's season tickets are nearly three times the price of the women's -- and which team is headed for March Madness here?
So you see, you are only paying an average of about $5 for each of those 40 events. Even the Ottawa Senators would spring for that opportunity.
The second thing that bothers me with people's complaints is the people making them. Usually, it's those people who feel the need to congregate with a group of friends to trek over to Beaver Stadium or the Bryce Jordan Center to do the "cultural norm" of attending said events. No diehard fan would complain about the price of seats, no matter what the price was, because he or she loves watching the sport. More or less, the complainers are going just for something to do.
If that is the case, then I ask this question: why those three? Sure, those three sports draw the largest crowds and play in the largest venues, but they are only three teams. The Penn State athletics website alone lists 29 Nittany Lion teams.
I am guessing that a lot of the students don't know a lot about these teams. Maybe you don't even know they compete. If you do, maybe you don't think there is any excitement in going, and they certainly don't have the prestige or honor of the "big three."
No excitement? No prestige? Try these on for size.
Fencing: six consecutive national championships from 1995 to 2000. Men's gymnastics: 10 national championships, the most by any school in the country. Men's volleyball: Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association champions every year since 1987, except three. Women's volleyball: four national title game appearances between 1994 and 1999, including the national title in 1999.
Not to mention the success of such teams as lacrosse, field hockey, track and field, baseball, softball, swimming and wrestling.
You can catch quality athletics all over campus, and guess what it costs you? Nothing. A Penn State identification card, that piece of plastic with a worse photo than your driver's license that keeps falling apart in your pocket, will get you into all of these events for free. Remember, that word we love so much.
This brings about another point, probably more important to more people on this campus. There are good athletics programs here. Really good ones. They may be the opening act in Penn State's sports concert, but they want to be cheered on just as much as the headliners.
So put down the Playstation controllers, exercise your legs a little, and use your I.D. for something other than filling your stomach with that "food" from the dining commons. Remember, it is hard enough being a college student, let alone a student and athlete. I recommend you make your way down to the White Building, the Natatorium, the Multi-Sport Facility or Rec Hall and show some support. It's the least we can do, especially for those athletes who play for pure pride because they don't have a professional future waiting for them -- and especially when that word we love so much is attached.
