Response to 'Why Blackout?' article
February 1, 2010
While the Laker Spirit Club understands Mr. Baranowski’s question about the origin of the Blackout at the women’s hockey game against No. 4 Clarkson University on Jan. 15, and agrees that black is not one of the school colors, we would like to address what seems to be his larger issue, that of student involvement at athletic events.
His piece presents the idea that LSC is not doing its job to get students involved in the games. However, what he failed to note was that attendance at our Blackout game was the highest so far this season by more than 200 people. In fact, this was the only game this season that has topped the 1,000 mark in attendance, with the official number listed at 1,211. While some might point out that this was due to the highly ranked opponent, LSC would like to point out that during two games with rival and No. 5-ranked Minnesota-Duluth, attendance only averaged 658.
However, we also understand that the goal should be to have this type of attendance and support at all of the events, not just those with special promotions, which brings us back to the article. Mr. Baranowski fills the article with suggestions, yet he failed to present them constructively.
Mercyhurst Student Government, of which LSC is a branch, has weekly meetings that are open to all students where they can present their ideas, which would have been a much more productive and constructive forum for his suggestions to be presented. In essence, by merely lashing out in the newspaper instead of taking action, Mr. Baranowski was being hypocritical. He fell victim to the same problem of inaction that he accuses LSC of by not doing his part as a member of Mercyhurst College to make our sporting events the best that they could be.
JohnBaranowski • Feb 4, 2010 at 12:48 am
It’s Laker Spirit Club, not Laker Show-up Club. Attendance is irrelevant, participation is key. I would rather have 10 people who cheer constantly than have 1,000 who sit, talk, and text. T-shirts don’t evoke participation, just attendance. This promotion failed; it didn’t encourage active participation. LSC still misses the point.
mtatav59 • Feb 4, 2010 at 11:24 am
Attendance is far from irrelevant. It is the major factor when it comes to athletic events. In order to increase the spirit around campus, first students need to get to the events. Once we have established a reoccurring fan base that dedicated their time towards attending athletic events, from there we can bring the spirit that is needed during games. How can you rationally say that the promotion failed? Prior to the blackout, LSC was fading away. With the blackout, it raised awareness to the students of the organization and its mission to increase spirit in athletic events. I did not see you tonight at the Green Out Gannon game. Not only was there a large attendance, but also active participation. Instead of basing your ideals of Laker Spirit Club on one athletic event, try coming to the other sporting events to where LSC reaches out to increase spirit.