We need support, going to a Division III school. Nobody expects there to be packed crowds filled with roaring students cheering on their fellow student athletes to victory. That's far from a possibility at Emerson, and I'm calling out the students for their lack of support.

First off, if you're an incoming freshman or transfer and you are reading this, hear me out. Things are slowly starting to change. But there is one thing I will advise you get used to this phrase — you are going to hear it a lot, "I didn't know Emerson had a (insert athletic activity here) team." That is going to be said to you a lot, and most people don't know because Emerson is not known for its athletics. It's known for its outstanding academics as a communications school. However, the school is building up its athletic programs.

Just last year, the men's basketball team made the NEWMAC tournament. They won the school's first ever postseason game in the NEWMAC. Then we also had women's soccer team won the ECAC Tournament, so things are looking up for Emerson athletics.

Even with the successful seasons we had this year, teams rarely got fan support. Which is kind of understandable. For example, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's lacrosse and softball all have to travel to Rotch Field for practice and games — which can be a solid 15 to 20 minute walk, and that can turn people away from going to your games. Then you also have to include the baseball team who plays at Campanelli Stadium in Brockton, which is 25 miles away from campus, and is a solid 40 minute car ride. In the end, you really won't hear the student athletes complain about the walk or the far rides to games or practices, because it really isn't that bad.

But the one thing that all these athletes would agree is that we don't get enough student support because of how far the fields are away from campus for games. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have our own home venues that are somewhat close to campus. However, because they aren't right on campus, pretty much no one ever shows out to support their fellow student athletes.

Then you even look at the teams who play on campus such as men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's volleyball. Not many people turn out for games at all. Just looking at the numbers from last year here, where the highest number of people in attendance for each team I could find was not impressive.

Baseball highest attendance: 100, lowest: 42. Men's basketball had its biggest turnout on Senior Day when 350 people came out to watch them play. Their lowest turnout was 42 people. Men's lacrosse had its highest turnout in its home opener when 150 people came out to see us play, but the kicker that game was played during spring break. I can tell you there were no students at that game unless they were student athletes. The lowest turnout for the Lion's lacrosse team was when 65 people came out to watch the Lions take on MIT. Men's volleyball had it's biggest turnout on Senior Day when 140 people celebrated the seniors last day, and had a low turnout of 60 people. Now looking at softball, their highest turnout was just 100 people and their lowest was 30 people. In women's basketball's second game of the year, they had 225 people come out to watch them play. Their lowest turnout on the year was 65 people who watched as the Lady Lions lost to Lasell College 61-55. Women's lacrosse had a big turnout of 200 people when they faced off against Union College, which I believe may have been during the week of spring break, so once again no students were really in attendance. Their lowest turnout of the year was 100 people against Coast Guard, a game they won easily by a score of 13-4. And then finally, women's soccer had a high turnout of 130 people when they beat Coast Guard 2-1, and they had low turnout of just 55 people when they blew out Wheelock 12-0.

What I'm pretty much trying to say is that this is ridiculous. As a student athlete, everyone wants to have their friends and peers at their games cheering them on. I have a challenge to all Emerson students go to at least one sporting event this year. I don't care what it is — it can be a men's or women's lacrosse game, a baseball game, men's or women's tennis match, a cross country meet, a softball game, men's or women's basketball game or a men's or women's volleyball game. Just go out there and show your support for one simple game.

But I'm not just challenging the students, I'm challenging everyone at Emerson College. That's right, I want professors, staff, alumni — I'm calling everyone out, and even you, President Pelton. I want everyone to just go to one athletic game — that's it. And if you really enjoy it and have a fun time, keep on going out there and supporting our athletic programs because maybe even better things will start happening with our athletics programs if we just get a little support.

That's all we ask, just try and come out and support us. That's all I really have to say. Try to get out there and support your Emerson Lions. Enough said.