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The Rice Thresher
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by Meredith Jenkins thresher staff Students were not permitted to sit in the first seven rows of the student section during last Saturday's football game against Duke University. Athletics Director Bobby May said the area was blocked off to prevent students from harassing the visiting team. The decision was announced Thursday, September 6, two days before the first home game. "Historically, there have been some problems with individuals in that area and the interactions they've had with the visiting team," May said. May cited an occurrence at last year's game against Fresno State University in which a student threw an object at the opposing team. "We had a real security issue at that time," May said. During the Oct. 5, 2000 game, a girl in the student seating section threw a football at a Fresno State football player. After a subsequent altercation with a police officer, the football player was removed from the game. University Police Chief Bill Taylor cited the same reason for moving students back seven rows. "Based on concerns of other teams and behavior exhibited last football season by certain individuals, they blocked off these rows in order to provide a buffer between the students and opposing team and reduce behavior by certain individuals," Taylor said. The football player removed from last year's Fresno State game blamed his anger on harassment from Rice fans in the front of the student section. Traditionally this section is occupied by members of the Rally Club, a student-run spirit group that sits near the playing field and cheers at sporting events. The group drinks alcohol before the game and then cheers for Rice athletes and against opponents. The Rally Club is not an official Rice student organization. Some members of Rally were not allowed to re-enter Saturday's game after halftime, Will Rice College freshman Hubert Gorniak, a member of Rally, said. Gorniak said this was probably due to their intoxicated state. Rally member Brad Sorte said he was upset with the decision to move students back seven rows. "I think people were a little peeved that we [the Rally Club] have been behind the opposing team for 76 years without any major incidents and all of a sudden, the administration decides to move us back without telling us beforehand," Sorte, a Hanszen College sophomore, said. Rally President Sean McSherry said he was also upset no one formally notified the club of the decision. McSherry said the club did find out about the decision before the game and all Rally members were told to respect it. "On Saturday at Rally, we made a point to let everyone know what was going on and that we weren't going to let it affect our enthusiasm but at the same time we were going to respect the seven-row policy," McSherry, a Lovett College senior, said. McSherry said he thought the decision had an affect on student spirit. "What should have been our first home game, our biggest crowd except Homecoming, became a divided effort," McSherry said. "It wasn't Rice against Duke - it was Rice against Rice, students against administration." Rally Secretary Matt Boles said the decision affected all students, not just the Rally Club. "It isn't just about the Rally Club," Boles, a Will Rice senior, said. "It isn't like Rally guys are the only spirited fans at Rice. Everyone wants to be closer to the action." Other students agreed. "I was disappointed that we couldn't sit any closer," Hanszen sophomore Amrish Patel said. "Being close to the action is a big part of enjoying a game." Boles said he was surprised the athletics department would make a decision that could hurt student spirit. "Every university football team has rowdy and spirited fans that yell and cheer," Boles said. "You'd think that the athletics department would want more students to come to the games and show half the spirit Rally guys or even the fans behind us, for that matter, do." May said he hopes the decision will not affect attendance at games. "We want to encourage attendance," May said. "We want students to come to the games, enjoy the games, have a good time, but at the same time we want to make sure that situations don't develop that are inappropriate." McSherry said he would be meeting with May this week to discuss the issue. "I'm hoping we as students can resolve this issue diplomatically," McSherry said. McSherry said he felt confident students would be allowed back in the first seven rows by the next home game. Ryan Keedy, president of Students for Athletic Spirit and Support and a member of Rally, said he also hopes students will be able to return to the first seven rows. "I can understand their motives for moving us back due to some incidents last year," Keedy, a Hanszen junior, said. "However, I think Rice students are responsible enough that we can redeem ourselves in the administration's eyes and hopefully get those rows back."
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