It’s fall; the beginning of the school year for many, and it’s time to officially make a change here at FIU. With college football season starting in just a few more days, the nation is on the toes of a tsunami-sized wave of spirit each and every weekend until we’re well into the Winter. Schools and their communities around the country will be adjusting their roads, stores, and lifestyles in order to accommodate the charging elephant known as college students. This rush, so to speak, isn’t really over within the first couple weeks of the semester. If it’s done right, it’ll technically be going on year round. Basketball will carry the student section of the crowd into and through the winter until baseball arrives in the spring. Besides the big three sports, you might see a large amount of support for the school volleyball, tennis, or even golf team, depending on your community. It could be just about any sport, really. But no matter what, it’s college, and many people want something to be part of, so something will see some support.

This support fuels the athletes. It gives them one more purpose, and every once in a while, that single purpose can be the difference between failure and success. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you there’s not much better than the feeling of having a home-field advantage. Give your teams that sort of help, and they’ll return the favor with some of the best memories of your life, whether they were at a game, a tailgate, or watching from home. These things are all going to bring people together, and make it that much easier to live in a strong, and happy community. Something that many other college towns have no problem with. On trips to Gainesville, I noticed that every home, empty lot, and street is full of people partying and getting ready for football games if they’re within about a mile or two’s distance from the campus. Here in Miami, Sweetwater more specifically, you won’t find very many people within that same distance, if not next to the stadium, that have no clue there’s even a football game going on.

Here at Florida International University, we’ll need to see many things will have to change to even come close to that. The school itself has done it’s part, with new uniforms, great recruiting, and even better marketing. The easiest part has to be done by the “fans”, if any who claim to be, really are. Future, current, and past students alike will have to show some pride for the place where it all began, or where it’s all going to originate from, as far as their future’s go. If we as a community stand together, and not only throw amazing tailgate parties, but actually close up the amazing pre-game we’ve established, and take it into the stadium. Party with our teams, get excited and make out weekends more than just getting trashed with our friends for no reason. Let’s get trashed with our friends for each other, for our athletic program, and for our university. Let’s wear our colors loud and proud, and stand tall as Panthers. If your school has crappy traditions too, give this a shot.