Throughout both Ashland University basketball games, the PA announcer advertised an upcoming senior citizen night, for which all seniors 62 and older will get in free of charge. 

I jokingly commented to my friend they won’t sell a single ticket to that game, but I realized just how many seniors filled the seats at Kates. 

It isn’t a knock on the seniors for showing up; it’s a knock on us, the students, for not filling the gym consistently. 

Even last year during the women’s team’s national championship run, Kates was filled to capacity with more community members than students. 

The men’s games that opened the night were barely attended by either party, but only the women’s team garnered the home court advantage every athletic team deserves.

Ashland University has 86 percent of its students living on campus, many of whom consistently complain, “There’s nothing to do here!” 

Along with that, one third of Ashland students are athletes, so there is a good chance everyone on campus knows at least a few athletes. 

By the way, these are not mediocre athletes.  

Ashland is consistently atop the Learfield Sports Director’s Cup, an award that measures a school’s overall athletic achievement. 

Multiple professional athletes around the world got their start in Ashland, and more will join those ranks next year.

Moral of the story is, Ashland athletics are impressive. 

They are also free to attend, and they often play on the weekends, easily filling a couple of hours that would otherwise be spent complaining about how little there is to do. 

As small as Kates is, the gym could become a fortress for the Eagles. 

A student section behind the opponents bench could terrorize their team while adding some student energy to the townie-based crowd. 

Getting something like that started would not be overly difficult. 

With such a small campus, enough people know each other to spread the word quickly and efficiently. 

Classics such as white-outs or black-outs are easy enough to organize. 

Even if organized theme nights are a bit optimistic, just having a vocal student section could add a crucial piece to the 

Ashland basketball environment. A home court should be an intimidating presence for visitors, and the local fans just do not provide the sort of reckless and rowdy energy that a college basketball game should have. 

Students should consider Kates as much their own as the rec center or the student center, a part of campus to be defended. 

It is our school, our sports teams, and supporting should be as second nature as going to the Nest for late-night food.  

The next home game is Thursday, January 30. Be there, and be loud!