Today's headlines offer no shortage of worthy political debate. A raging war, early presidential positioning and the emerging details of the approaching Democratic congressional agenda are hard material for a political columnist to shy from. But for my final polemic of the semester, I'm interested in setting aside predictable partisanship. There's another issue, specific to American University, where I find both Democrats and Republicans at fault. The AU Blue Crew, our university's latest attempt to rally excitement around athletics, is charged with a daunting task. With a basketball team mired in the middle of an unheralded conference, and lacking a football team, traditional "school spirit" has notoriously proven ephemeral at AU. James Thurber, director of the School of Public Affairs' Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies, observes that election night provides for AU students the rallying fervor and excitement typically associated with certain high profile sporting events in January and March at other schools. Most students simply do not choose to attend American because of an allegiance to our athletic program. But while the Blue Crew will obviously not change that fact, I do hope they are successful in cultivating some sort of emotional (even "spirited") resonance between the general student body and our too often overlooked athletic successes. The Eagle plays a critical role in this campaign. If there's any meta-analysis I have gleaned from my study of politics, it is an appreciation for the overwhelming influence that the news media has in molding public opinion and generating interest and energy. An effective school spirit campaign will require the focused coordination of the Blue Crew catalyzed by the broader sustainment of the school paper. If The Eagle is pledged to covering the relevant campus developments, and shares the Blue Crew's goal of supporting AU athletes (as a Nov. 16 staff editorial suggests), then it only makes sense that the most prominent athletic achievements would merit mention, if not prominent coverage. Unfortunately, there has been a glaring failure. As a member of the cross country team, the buried paragraph mentioning our fifth consecutive Patriot League title and our national championship-qualifying regional performance seems quite the snub. The crowning disrespect was when our third straight NCAA championship race wasn't worth a single word of coverage. Now, to be fair, I don't expect the Blue Crew to organize events publicizing cross country. We host no home meets for students to attend, and the nature of the sport itself pays little regard to the convenience of spectators. But it only seems intuitive that a school spirit campaign would be interested in fomenting an atmosphere of success, in highlighting a championship tradition, in energizing a "we're-number-one" psyche. We are runners. We've never expected the deification of ogling hordes, or even their basic understanding (What? You guys run for an hour-and-a-half? Without stopping?). But cross country is more than frolicking along in flowered pastures, and track is certainly not some do-it-yourself merry-go-round where we joyfully careen around in circles to our heart's content. For those of us who have been captivated by the grandeur of speed, recognition in the school paper isn't going to provide the fulfillment for which we quest. But a little respect certainly wouldn't hurt this paper's - and this school's - bid to support its successful athletes. And showing a little more respect, it would seem, is a worthy goal for Republicans and Democrats alike.
Jacob Shelly is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a liberal columnist for The Eagle.
