In the crowd
Members of the CNHS student section past and present adjust to Friday night lights amidst COVID-19 By Margaret Mowrer Design By Sasha Goodlow
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cotton candy sky dims as the sunset dips behind the opposing team’s bleachers. The last sliver of light casts a golden glow on the anticipated faces of the fully packed student section. Students stand, and time stops as they watch the catch that could earn the Bull Dogs another win. The player grasps the ball mid-air, gaining possession with just enough time to jump over the end zone line. Cheers erupt from the bleachers.. Standing there, you blink, trying to savor the moment. One Blink. Two Blinks, but when you open your eyes you are hit by reality. Quietness strikes you first, this due to the limited amount of students who were lucky enough to get a hold of a ticket. Players stand staggered in an arranged chevron design in order to stay a safe distance. The cheerleaders reach for masks just so they are able to start their stunt. Friday Night Lights doesn’t cast the same shine as they did before. High school football plays a significant role in entertainment for many individuals during the fall season. Due to some restrictions of COVID-19, ISHAA has enforced that the number of fans allowed is limited to two hundred and fifty for each side of a stadium. The majority are parents of the athletes, leaving few tickets left for students. Sophomore Leah Hartwell is one student who is fortunate enough to receive the chance to attend games because her sibling, Senior Lauren Hartwell, is involved in cheerleading and can get first-access to tickets. Leah Hartwell enjoys attending the games, but has noticed a difference in the atmosphere. “In the past, you have had a lot of fans, and so it was exciting to see them all cheering. Now it’s mostly parents,” Leah Hartwell said. “It’s not as upbeat as it used to be because you hear students yelling and you still hear parents getting excited, but [it is] just not as fast-paced as it usually is.” Junior Bryant Trinkle, during last year’s season, was an active participant in the student section for most football games. He views this new shift overall as very disheartening for students who are not able to attend. “Last year, every time we had a home game, everybody knew what they were going to do. They were going to go to the game, and [they] always had something to do afterward. For me and my friends that was set every week,” Trinkle said.“Now that is taken away, and I don’t know how that is for other people, but for my friends, [it’s] a big deal.” In order to allow viewing opportunities, BCSC and the athletic department have organized live streams to broadcast some of the games.
“I feel like it has changed for everyone, [as] everyone doesn’t get to go. Last game I barely saw any students,” Trinkle said. “For them, It is kind of disheartening not being able to go. Watching online is such a different thing.” Hartwell empathizes with these students, expressing her opinion on only allowing two hundred and fifty people per game. “I know it can be very frustrating because two hundred and fifty doesn’t seem like a lot of people, and in school, it’s weird that we can have like two thousand people, but we can’t have any more than two hundred TICKET - ADMIT ONE and fifty at a game,” Hartwell said. WHAT'S DIFFERENT All in all, Trinkle fears NOW these changes may have - Only 250 people can go to games a lasting impact on some for athletics students’ memory of their high school experience. - Everyone has to wear masks during “You’re gonna look back the game on this year, if we are able to go to games next year, - Social distancing is and see that this part of encouraged throughout the stands high school is stripped away - 127 seniors in fall sports this year from you”, Trinkle said. “ We didn’t think this - No meeting the players after the was going to be taken away big game from us, but it just was, and you don’t realize how important that is to you until you don’t have it.”
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