During our discussion today, the "Hype" group decided that the idea of silence when the other team entered the stadium instead of booing would be a positive change in fan behavior, one that we would like to see implemented in Beaver Stadium. When the idea was brought forth to the class, some objections, or constructive criticisms were made. Silence is even more disrespectful because you are not even acknowledging the presence of the other team. Silence of the home team just makes the visiting team more audible with their cheers. I understand where both of these points are coming from. But here's my response.
I was always taught that if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. Well, booing at the visiting team is certainly not a nice thing to say--so why not be silent? I say that silence is a form of acknowledgment. In the way that we envisioned and discussed the proposal within our group, the silence would be a hush coming over the stadium--the response to the team would be Penn State fans becoming silent.
While yes the visiting team will be more audible with all of Penn State silent, it does not mean that you will be able to hear them. When the visiting bands came to Penn State this year, they were so small in comparison to the Blue Band that I could barely hear what songs they were playing. In comparison to the number of Penn State fans in Beaver Stadium, the visiting section would be so small that you would barely be able to hear them or distinguish what they were saying.
One of the major goals I think our group needs to focus on is not diminishing the rivalries that exist between school, but rather promoting the good behavior and the positive sportsmanship we want to see. When learning about behavior modification in terms of teaching in a classroom, it is better to reward positive behavior than to punish misbehavior. This is one of the reasons I suggested "caught being a good fan" where once a quarter, a person showing good sportsmanship and positively supporting the Nittany Lions would be rewarded for their work. It is also why I think we should work with the marketing and advertising department of Penn State Football as well as the local t-shirt designers for the downtown stores to make t-shirts that promote Penn State rather than negating the visiting teams.
Just some thoughts. Let me know what you think.
I was always taught that if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. Well, booing at the visiting team is certainly not a nice thing to say--so why not be silent? I say that silence is a form of acknowledgment. In the way that we envisioned and discussed the proposal within our group, the silence would be a hush coming over the stadium--the response to the team would be Penn State fans becoming silent.
While yes the visiting team will be more audible with all of Penn State silent, it does not mean that you will be able to hear them. When the visiting bands came to Penn State this year, they were so small in comparison to the Blue Band that I could barely hear what songs they were playing. In comparison to the number of Penn State fans in Beaver Stadium, the visiting section would be so small that you would barely be able to hear them or distinguish what they were saying.
One of the major goals I think our group needs to focus on is not diminishing the rivalries that exist between school, but rather promoting the good behavior and the positive sportsmanship we want to see. When learning about behavior modification in terms of teaching in a classroom, it is better to reward positive behavior than to punish misbehavior. This is one of the reasons I suggested "caught being a good fan" where once a quarter, a person showing good sportsmanship and positively supporting the Nittany Lions would be rewarded for their work. It is also why I think we should work with the marketing and advertising department of Penn State Football as well as the local t-shirt designers for the downtown stores to make t-shirts that promote Penn State rather than negating the visiting teams.
Just some thoughts. Let me know what you think.
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