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Penn was defeated in their last basketball game of the season at Princeton. Credit: Pete Lodato

They say the first step towards solving a problem is admitting that it, in fact, exists.

‘My name is Penn Basketball and I have an attendance problem.’

Now let’s move forward.

A group of about 40 students met yesterday afternoon in the ARCH building hoping to do just that.

And their organic, student-led solution might just be the only way to recovery.

They came from different Penn backgrounds: from the Red and Blue Crew, Penn Athletics, the Undergraduate Assembly, the University Administration, the Student Activities Council and the Greek community. The similarity was a collective interest in revitalizing Penn school spirit, which has recently been in crisis.

Heading the meeting were newly elected UA president Matt Amalfitano, men’s basketball point guard Zack Rosen and Sam Adelsberg, who Rosen described as “the biggest basketball fan that no one’s ever seen at the Palestra,” referencing the fact that Adelsberg hadn’t been to many games before this year.

It was largely a brainstorming session for ways the athletic department can connect with the student body, ways to enhance the experience of attending a sports game and ways to increase accessibility of events.

Concrete ideas emerged, like calls for free tickets to basketball games and more tailgates. But what also grew was a natural desire, starting with students — as well as Allen and Leah Popowich, director of Penn President Amy Gutmann’s office — to revitalize a tradition much larger than any one of them.

Amalfitano did admit he was “preaching to the choir” — those in attendance were all supporters of Penn sports — but the meeting was a breath of fresh air because students, rather than athletic administrators, are taking the critical issue into their own hands, and putting on a full court press.

“What’s successful,” he said, “is that we have three different approaches to this issue, and many people from all different sections of the University. That’s how things will get done.”

Amalfitano made school spirit a key point of his UA campaign, earning Rosen’s endorsement during the election. Just three weeks after Amalfitano’s win, he appears to making good on at least one campaign promise.

Rosen said the next step is turning the surplus of ideas, “stuff we know is possible,” into actions. He thanked Popowich for being there and showing the administration cares.

While the discussion centered on attendance and spirit for men’s basketball, athletes from women’s soccer, volleyball, men’s rowing and Penn cheer were present as well.

“It’s a foundation, a starting point,” said Adrienne Lerner, a sophomore on women’s soccer. “So in five years this conversation will be about women’s soccer, softball or volleyball.”

So Adrienne, Zack, Matt, Sam, Jerome and Leah: Let’s get to work.

CALDER SILCOX is a sophomore science, technology and society major from Washington, D.C., and is Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. His e-mail address is silcox@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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