OUR VIEWS Consensus Opinion

Last weekend's Boston College (BC) game saw a remarkable display of offensive prowess by the Eagles' quarterback, Matt Ryan. Unfortunately, the game also featured a shocking show of poor behavior by the Tech fans in attendance.

The rowdy crowd peppered the field with trash, causing the referees to make an unprecedented five separate requests for fans to stop disrupting play. Many of these items were aimed at the BC players and cheerleaders, who surely do not look forward to their return to our campus in two years as a result of the incidents.

Regardless of what we may think about the quality of the calls made by the referees at the game, there can be no excuse for our actions at the stadium. Not only was the game broadcasting live on national television, but it took place during Family Weekend, a time for students to proudly show the Institute off to their parents and siblings. These parents should not have to leave the game because they are uncomfortable subjecting their children to the environment created by the behavior of some.

Monday's issue of the Heights, BC's student newspaper, stated "the inappropriate actions coming from the [Tech] stands did not occur spontaneously; rather, such behavior is largely ingrained in the fan culture of the school."

This is not the reputation that the students and the administration have worked to cultivate over the years, and administrators must take action immediately to ensure this behavior is not repeated. Schools that fail to do anything to address events like these find themselves gaining notoriety as hostile environments, and we believe Tech has too much class to desire this sort of "fame." While it will take time to repair our relationship with BC fans, we can take advantage of the rest of the home games this season to regain our reputation for hospitality.

Students and other fans could face severe consequences if they fail to step up and take responsibility for their behavior in future games. The weekend's events have the administration evaluating a variety of options to ensure nothing similar happens again. While we do believe the administration is correct to act swiftly, it is unfortunate that these actions are necessary at all. We must do a better job of policing ourselves to avoid significant policy changes.

If we as students value perks like block and near-field seating, we must all make a commitment to represent the Institute appropriately at all future events.

We do not believe the fans' actions on Saturday were by any means a display of the true character of the Institute or our student body. Let's make certain they remain a bad memory.