Someone once asked me why I do not write for the football team at The Observer. I will be completely transparent — I have no clue what is happening in football in terms of game play and terminology. Now you may now be wondering, “why would you call yourself out on not knowing football?” Well, it was already pretty obvious anyway so I may as well put it out there. Starting freshman year, I went to most of the home games but only stayed the for the entirety during the most important ones (aka Ohio State). I never really enjoyed football. I never understood it and honestly, there is so much happening I never took the time to learn it. The student section plays a part in this. There are many different aspects of it I find appealing, but at the same time, there’s plenty I am not a huge fan of.
I remember last year as a Saint Mary's freshman, I was so excited when I found out that I could get seats in the Notre Dame student section. Though I loved all the energy I saw the students bring after the first home opener, it can be overwhelming.
As an introvert, I am not a huge people person. I have never enjoyed being in big groups or hanging out with a large amounts of people. I have always preferred being by myself or with one or two others, which certainly does not apply to the student section. It is so loud all the time with people shouting, swearing and throwing things — it is just a lot. I understand getting hyped up (I am an athlete myself so I know), but the constant yelling overwhelms me. I think another factor in this is how close people stand to each other. I am not a fan of people being in my space, so part especially throws me off. Last year, I stayed for about half of the home games played. Out of the four home games the Irish have had so far this year, I stayed for two of them: Northern Illinois and Louisville.
That being said, I have learned that standing next to a random stranger and not saying anything is just awkward. Strangely enough, I have made a bunch of new friends in the student section. That is one of the things that makes this area great — it is fun to be able to introduce yourself and have long conversations about school, dorms or future plans while cheering on the Irish.
Another thing that I enjoy is the chants that bring the entire tri-campus together. This includes things such as dancing an Irish jig with someone next to you, cheering on first and third-down, singing to the songs that ring throughout the stadium or dancing to the band’ music in between plays. One of my favorite moments is at the end of the game when the football team comes over to the student section and everyone sings the alma-mater, “Notre Dame Our Mother.” Whether it was a win or a loss, everyone comes together to sing this song. It is a wonderful thing.
Overall, while the student section can be overwhelming and at times somewhat stressful for me, there is so much beauty behind it. It is amazing to see almost every student from the tri-campus rallying together to cheer on our football team. With that, as always, go Irish!
