School spirit has been a constant topic this semester. Although both arguments have been showcased at The Criterion, there has not been given a good example of what school spirit looks like. 

On Nov. 8^th, Colorado Mesa University (CMU) went up against Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in a volleyball matchup. Though we did not win the game, the student section, in my books, took home the trophy. All because of one specific group: The CMU Swim and Dive Team.

When I came to the game, I was not expecting an energetic crowd. As part of the Marketing and Communications Department I attend many sporting events to capture stock photos. These photos are typically of the athletes and the student sections.

The last few athletic events I have attended have been underwhelming when it comes to the crowd. There have been little to no students in the crowd and when there are, they are very reserved. With these past experiences under my belt, I walked into the volleyball tournament with little expectation.

There was a good crowd in the student section, which was a shock for me. The Herd was very present and was interactive enough. As I started warming up my camera – quite literally – I began to take photos of the crowd. 

I was unaware of the subject of most of these first few photos and was concentrating more on the lighting. However, when I started looking at the photos I was taking, I started to notice that the clothing on some of the people in the crowd was changing. 

I was slightly confused as to what was going on and began to observe the crowd. Little to my knowledge the Swim and Dive Team has had a tradition of stripping down to their uniforms at volleyball tournaments. 

Senior Filip Dolk, who swims butterfly and backstroke, said, “It is {a} tradition that has been going on since before I started at CMU four years ago, no idea when it officially started. My guess, {is} like six to seven years ago.”

Throughout the tournament, the team would strip down to their swimwear and then re-dress for the next set. This was at first uncomfortable for the crowd, but then attitudes started to change.

The Swim and Dive Team brought much-needed energy to the student section. There was constant bantering, yelling and chanting from the team. As I said earlier, it was just them to start and not much happened from the student section; however, the students started to get more and more involved as the team got louder and louder. 

About midway through the game students that were not apart of the team began to become less reserved and opened up. They joined in the traditional “Let’s go Mavericks, let’s go,” chants as well as dancing to the music. 

When asked about the influence the team had, junior Nathaniel Sawer, who swims backstroke, said, “It was awesome to see how a little bit of fun can spread and really get the crowd going. I was having a great time getting the crowd going and them responding and joining was a great feeling.”

And spread it did. By the end of the night, almost every male student in the section was taking his shirt off and joining the banter. To me, this was a prime example of how our student section should be at every game. Now I am not saying to start a strip game, but I am saying the banter, the chanting and all-around camaraderie should exist at our games. 

I hope at future games this same energy is seen. It is very important for our teams to have the support and energy to fuel their determination to win.