I grew up in a little town on Lake Superior. Ashland had one high school so it was easyvto figure outbwho to cheer for on Friday night at Weikal Field. Besides, how many teams were named the "Oredockers"? Just one. And besides I marched in the band, every parade and football game. I played the bassoon so I ended up twirling a gun in a short dress for my high school years. At the end of the last song during halftime, we dropped our guns and lifted our skirts. We spelled Dockers. I was the "E" . How I wish I had that body back. Anyway, we were all inclined to cheer for the home team, we were loyal to our school and it carried on through college.
I cheered for the Badgers all through college and I still do. I had season tickets for football every year and even when I broke my leg, I never missed a game. Of course we didn't go to a bowl game when I was in school, but we did wallop Ohio State at home. It was beautiful. I love cheering the cardinal and white. I still tear up when the band plays "Varsity". I love my Alma Mater win or lose.
This morning I was greeted by first page news about my beloved Badgers. The Badger Herald, the more liberal of campus' two papers, printed a list " The Worst People on Campus". What did these people do to earn this title? Did they kick dogs, boo at Badger games, refuse to stand during Varsity and wave their right arms? Did they beat up Bucky? No, the two hundred worst people on campus and "condemned to Hell" tried to sell their Rose Bowl tickets for a profit!! I know! I can't believe it either. Must be out of state students, probably some fast talking swell kids from back East where things like money matter. Or maybe they are business majors looking to start turning a profit while they are still students. Those Business School t-shirts spell SOB for a reason.
Whoever they are, their names were removed from the Badger Herald when it was discovered, gasp, that they found an additional 200 names! I don't know that the Badger Herald has discovered perhaps that some students need or want money more than doing the right thing. In these days when so many folks have lost their jobs and homes, can you blame a few misguided youth for trying to turn a profit? I think not. I think we discovered that while some kids are tired of ramen noodles and pasta with plain tomato sauce, some need the money to help feed their kids or pay for medicine. At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself.
Please don't look too harshly on these kids, maybe their dog is sick, or their Mom needs an operation. Whatever the case I'm sure that the Badger faithful can overlook this indiscretion as they prepare to attend or at least to watch our team play in Camp Randall West. We will not even remember this tiny wrinkle in a perfectly wonderful holiday season leading up to the big game.
Forget the 200 and remember the generations of students who would give their right arms to be sitting in the stands on New Years' Day. We'll cheer from the kickoff to the final seconds, win or lose. I'll tear up when Leckrone and company play our favorite song and laugh at all the pushups poor Bucky has to do every time we score. At the end of the day, we'll take pride in all that our school stands for the good, the bad and the 200. Go Big Red!!
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