Sports

Metro, where is everyone?

Jenna Woodman
jwoodma5@mscd.edu

Every day it's the same old story. Wake up, get ready for school, get my coffee and go to class.

Sitting there at my desk, I feel like every other student, listening to my I-pod, text messaging my best friend and patiently waiting for my professor to walk in.

It is the same for every class. As soon as class is over, it seems like the only thing people do is pull out their cell phones or light up a cigarette to cater to their latest nicotine needs.

To some people, that is all Metro is-catching the light rail twice a week for a few lectures and an education. We're paying thousands of dollars to be here, but it seems like no one puts any effort into the social aspect, and the idea of school spirit is out of the question.

There are about 21,000 students who attend Metro, and out of those, about 180 play varsity sports. That's not counting club sports, equipment managers or people who work the games.

When attending a game, I can count the number of students on both hands. Once in a while I have to use my feet.

The announcer at the Volleyball game energetically yells, "Stand up for your Metro State Roadrunners," but the only people standing seem to be the proud families. And what about cross country? I don't think half the school knows it exists.

Don't get me wrong. Some students are supportive. The men's basketball team always seems to make its way to the Auraria Event Center to catch some court-side volleyball action, and there have been some familiar screams and praises at cross country meets. But when the total attendance at is 103, including both teams, that's when students need to stop and take notice.

Metro is unique. The Auraria Campus is home to three colleges and two light rail stops, making it the only campus in Colorado-besides Arapahoe Community College-with easy access by train.

We have people here of all ages, races and backgrounds. With all our diversity, I would think that something such as a ball game would spark some common interest between people.

Free admission for students and the competition of Division II athletics doesn't seem to bring much excitement for the non-athletic crowd. Our streets aren't lined with signs supporting our Roadrunners. Students walking from class to class don't scream, "I'm proud to be a Roadrunner!"

And it is not like Metro is home to bad teams, either. The women's volleyball team is on a six-game winning streak. The women's soccer team is defending the national championship and remains undefeated. Men's soccer and tennis continue to excel, too, but the number of fans stays the same.

One would think the quality of Metro's teams would make for intense fans. For the people who don't play, I'm not sure why they wouldn't at least want to support their fellow classmates.