School spirit brings students together, supports student athletes and builds a sense of pride in the school itself. However, you should not let your school spirit get in the way of being respectful.
At Panda Game this year, there were many great moments, but these will be tainted by the disrespectful events that followed. Before the game started, there was a ceremony held in remembrance of University of Ottawa (U of O) defensive lineman Loic Kayembe, with the Carleton Ravens Twitter account tweeting numerous reminders at fans to respect the moment of silence.
And yet, during the moment of silence, “Fuck You, Ottawa U” chants could be clearly heard. When players were on the ground injured, both sides yelled at one another, despite not knowing the severity of the injury. Fights broke out among rival fans throughout the arena.
This is not to say that everyone in attendance was involved in these acts or that the rivalry is a bad thing. The rivalry is a key aspect of the Carleton-U of O relationship and the Panda Game is more exciting because of it. There’s a reason why the game keeps breaking attendance records.
But these acts reflect poorly on both schools and on the student population of Ottawa, playing into the stereotype of drunk, disrespectful college students. Next time you want to chant “Fuck You, Ottawa U,” take a moment to assess the situation and see if what you’re doing is appropriate.
