Fan behavior shouldn’t be trashy… or should it?

As a sports player, the fans can add or throw off the entire vibe of a game.

Through cheers, screams, and laughter, student sections are meant to be a way to promote motivation and success for your school’s team.

Over the past seasons, Talon Staff members have noticed that what is intended to be a lighthearted act is turning into quite the opposite.

Some may be naive to the fact that negative calls or direct targeting can offset the mindset of a player, leading them to play at a lower level than capable of.

It is important to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and reflect on how you would feel if people were taunting you.

Although we believe that trash talk can go too far, we actually do believe that we should keep the tradition alive.

Students should be able to respectfully clap back, while not bothering the players on the court.

It is fun to be involved in a chat in a game; it keeps the energy high and encourages more fans to attend.

There are circumstances when fans have taken their roles too far, leading to violence. This can be seen in the recent basketball game at Hopkins High School, when the game between Hopkins and Tartan ended abruptly due to fights in the crowd. Police entered the gym and instructed everyone to flee the premises.

This event shows how student sections can lead to unsafe environments and violence in a short period of time. We, the Talon Staff, challenge Minnehaha students to keep up the high energy but put the safety and dignity of others first — even if that means stopping certain chants or cheers.