My thoughts on the "Hey Song" (Part 2)

 

There is simply no way that the athletic department can forcibly stop student season ticket holders -- who have shelled out 80+ dollars for their seats -- from starting up the "Hey Song" at the end of games. If anything, an attempt to block students from starting up so much as an a cappella version will inspire the more rebellious students of the bunch to sing more vociferously.

That said, the "Hey Song" isn't too much fun to begin with when no one is showing up to games. Obviously, it's difficult to attract a large crowd of students when the team is not an Ivy League Championship-caliber one. But on the whole, the student turnout this season has been miserable. Brian Head and the marketing arm of Penn's athletic department should be less concerned with a few dozen kids screaming "you suck" and more concerned with putting more than a few dozen kids in the student section.

Finally, given the relatively few opportunities that students have had this season to serenade the opposing team with those not-so-kind words, the timing of this decision seems out of place. As immature as it may be, some students really enjoy the "Hey Song." Now is the time to avoid any possible disincentives for student attendance. I'm afraid that a public stand from the athletic department against the "Hey Song" could make attendance matters even worse. Not only will students continue to show up late, but they might start leaving early, too.

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