I thought my first away game as a Coastal Carolina University (CCU) senior was going to be an experience I would never forget– and unfortunately, it was.
My freshman year roommate, Frances, and I drove almost seven hours to visit her childhood friends and the Harrisonburg, Virginia, area.
I was in awe of the Blue Ridge Mountains that surrounded the car; anywhere you looked, there was a blue peak to gawk over. The trees changed with the season, full of oranges and reds and yellows. The air had a chill that only you can feel going up toward the north in October.
Although I had never stayed in Virginia, it oddly felt like home. This was until we stepped foot onto the James Madison University (JMU) campus.
As student guests, we had to stand in the JMU student section. Also, as the visiting team, we expected to get stares and banter from the home team.
This was when I realized this was nothing like “home.”
Simply wearing a CCU sweatshirt and Chauncey stickers on our faces was enough of a reason for JMU students to be crude. From the way we were treated, you would have thought we were wearing University of Michigan merchandise in the Ohio State University stadium or vice versa.
We were hit in the back of the head with white pom poms and JMU boom bats anytime we cheered for our University. This doesn’t even start to cover the number of “boos” and cursing the crowds around us screamed in our direction.
I went to my first away game with no expectations of winning or losing, however I expected to have an enjoyable time with people my age.
Rivalries are exciting, especially when it’s a beach school versus a mountain school, because both teams have so much passion and hope that they will win. It’s important to realize every single game must have a winner, and unfortunately, also a loser.
When CCU plays Appalachian State University on Nov. 7, arguably our biggest rival, know your limits. Respect the concept that there are two sides when engaging in friendly banter. College football is not a deciding factor in life or death.
I am proud to call Coastal my soon-to-be alma mater if we can own up to being “the beach chickens” in good fun.
