Dear Editor,
As I crammed last night for Dr. Slap’s U.S. History test, I noticed a common theme during Reconstruction, the Gilded Age and on into the turn of the 19th Century.
Common to all Americans was a sense of self pride. African- Americans struggled to be seen as more than property and to regain their lost heritage. Women began to fervently fight for their right to vote. Even the old white plantation owners in the South sought to regain what they termed pride.
It seems as if the nation itself was searching for pride and why shouldn’t it have been? It had been around 80 or so years at the time of one our nation’s most turbulent events; the civil war. The nation now seem strapped to take on a new challenge, as all were ready to join this war for self-pride and to keep this nation together. Now, we appear to be ruled by apathy. The tide of self-pride has now shifted to a mere echo of what it once was.
Fighting for tradition and respect only seems to come along with national tragedy. It took an event like 9/11 to merely slow our nation’s constant complaints about what mattered least and to remove our protective coating of apathy.
It appears that on our campus this apathy is no less prevalent. Our football team is grounded in an 80 year tradition, and yet where are the cries of outrage to keep this program going? What have the students done to keep the respect our football program has?
A few small rallies and a few last dying attempts by alumni is all that has taken place to keep this storied program alive. This week we swept the Southern Conference Player of the Week Awards, but I heard little mentioned in class or among my peers.
What happened to fighting for tradition and self-respect? Our Student Government is worrying about fixing the oh-so major problem of lighting in the Culp and our football players are grinding each week to let our campus know this team is not a lost cause.
But, where have all the Buccaneers gone? I fear the Mini-Dome is now solely a haven for what once was.
Students, wake up and show some support! We need to fight for our Buc pride and the tradition that ETSU football leaves behind. Our days of football are not over yet. Let’s all stand up and show support for our team. Come to a game, buy some Buc memorabilia and wear it proudly, or go home and sit on the porch.
Nate Bailey

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