Spirit Night a Good Time, for All?

By Bill Cobb

On Wednesday night Clark hosted Spirit Night at the Kneller Athletic Center. The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams and the men’s basketball team faced off against cross-town conference rivals WPI. For the swim and dive team, the evening also marked Senior Night, where Shyamal Asher, Kara Bochicchio, Cassandra Crawford, Caitlin Hanson, Jessica Moise, and Marjorie Whalen were recognized for their dedication to the team.

The Cougar faithful packed the seats to cheer on the men’s basketball team as they matched up against the top seeded team in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference in WPI. Clark held the second seed in the battle for conference supremacy.

Spirit Night wasn’t just about the competition, though. The night held plenty of other events for the fans, including a raffle with five winners getting a chance to shoot a half-court shot to win a free car. Seniors Horia Kraus and Mika Sneddon, freshman Julie Murray, and sophomores Josh Dickstein and Alex Atkins all had their lucky numbers drawn to make the deep shot. None of the raffle winners made the basket, but they all got their 15 minutes of fame at center court.

Laurel Holden’s raffle ticket also proved lucky when she was selected “Fan of the Game,” earning her a seat on the comfortable leather couches set up in the corner of the court. Several other prizes were awarded throughout the night for those with fortunate numbers.

With all the activities available during the night, one thing was noticeably missing. While the swim and dive teams and men’s basketball team enjoyed a boisterous crowd on their home turf, the women’s basketball team was absent from the night’s festivities. Fans could only question why the event wasn’t held on a night when all three teams held home contests.

“It unfortunate that the women’s team didn’t get a chance to show what they can do in front of this huge crowd for Spirit Night,” said David Blum, a senior soccer player at Clark. “It’s unfair. Here at Clark we try and promote an equal opportunity for all teams to be seen.”

Emily Zoback, another senior, echoed Blum’s sentiments. “This is the first time I can remember Spirit Night without both the men’s and women’s teams,” she said. “I feel bad for the seniors who missed out on their last possible Spirit Night.”

Much of the consideration for selecting the date of Spirit Night involves the availability of a televised broadcast. But this event, a night for the fans and athletes alike, should not simply be about getting Clark on TV—this should be a night that all students and athletes should be able to enjoy together.