This past Saturday night, I seemingly committed an atrocity. I stood up at the Bowdoin-Colby men’s hockey game. You would have thought I did something truly terrible. No, I was just very excited to root for my Polar Bears in the biggest rivalry game of the year.

When I signed up to go to a DIII liberal arts school, I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew there would be no Pennsylvania State University whiteouts or University of Michigan vs. Ohio State University hate weeks. I chose academics over electric sporting events, and I accept that. However, when I stood up at the game this Saturday and asked my fellow classmates to do the same, some enthusiastically tried to join, but most reacted as if I asked them to donate a kidney. Many of those who stood ultimately succumbed to the displeasure of their seated classmates around them. That’s sad. Standing in a student section should not be embarrassing—it should be expected. We live in a world where students at Duke University, another elite academic institution, studied to take their school’s basketball history test for the right to sleep outside until March just for a chance to attend their rivalry basketball game against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But at Bowdoin, standing up in the student section is too much? Hell, even Harvard University and Yale University manage to get up for their big game every year.

Sports are beautiful. In a world full of hate, disagreement and negativity, sports give us something we can all get behind and be positive about. At the end of the day, sports don’t really matter, and that’s what’s awesome. Win or lose, the sun will rise tomorrow. Every year on the last weekend in January, we all as Bowdoin students get the opportunity to be united in beating those damn Mules from the safety school up north, and it’s something we should be proud of.

It’s not for everyone—I get that. However, nobody is forcing you to go to the game or be in the student section. I’m not asking for a lot. All I ask is that if you are in the student section, you stand up and act like you want to be there, and certainly don’t tell anyone they need to sit down. We can stand up and still be fully respectful of our opponent. At Bowdoin, we are better than the use of any hateful speech. If, for any reason, you want or need to sit down, there are plenty of other places in the arena to do so.

This is a sporting event, not a theater production. There is a reason there are no seatbacks or individualized seats in the student section. It’s not supposed to be comfy. It’s supposed to be rowdy and raucous. I’m not in the student section for the best view. I’m there to feel the camaraderie of my fellow students and cheer on our team. Playing at home is supposed to be an advantage. As a student section, we owe it to the players on the ice to make that true.

There is nothing wrong with standing up in support of our school and our classmates. We should not be embarrassed. We should be proud. Frankly, there are middle schools with more engaged student sections than ours. It doesn’t have to be this way. Students have stood and rallied for this game since its inception in 1922 (including the past three years I have attended), so why stop now?

All is not lost. There are still big games to be played. Our men’s hockey team is currently set up to host a NESCAC playoff game later this spring, and women’s basketball is undefeated in conference play and poised to make another incredible run. We can make a change, stand up and support our teams.

If I’m missing something here, I would love to know. I am not trying to stir up any controversy or divide anyone. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I want to see this powerful student body unite and celebrate each other. Everyone is welcome. This is not as much an indictment as it is a wakeup call. We can and will be better.

GO U BEARS!

Kique Ruiz is a member of the Class of 2026.