Trojan Den shouldn’t compromise decency for school spirit

What is the boundary between school spirit and becoming a disturbance to the game? During the CVHS vs. Bishop O’Dowd boys varsity basketball game, I was standing amongst the Trojan Den in a mixture of chaos and cheering. There is no doubt that the Trojan Den is the loudest section in the audience; its cheers boom and echo off the walls.

If your seat is among the Den, do not expect to actually sit. While the game is in action, you’re standing up. Bleachers are not comfortable in the first place, especially with people continually trying to walk around you.

The Den has a variety of cheers, from chanting “Who’s your daddy? Castro Valley!”  to spirit fingers while the CVHS team is shooting their free throws. But there were some chants that were not exactly appropriate for school. Multiple students were kicked out of the game by the assistant principals for shouting “F*** O’Dowd!” In retaliation many more students turned around in the bleachers and shouted the same thing. Due to how many students yelled, the staff couldn’t make all the students leave.

The chaos continued as the Den started jumping up and down on the bleachers while humming a tune. Within all the jumping, students were falling down left and right. I braced myself for the bleachers to collapse. The more intense the game, the more riled up the jumping became. I could see people trying to escape from the jumping mess.

There has to be a middle ground between chaos and supporting your team. The Trojan Den section should be clearly marked so that any visitors or people who are not accustomed to attending games know what they are in for. The staff does the best it can do to control the chaos without trying to disrupt everyone’s fun. Just note that if you are finding a seat at a game be prepared if you’re sitting with the Trojan Den.