There are always complaints about the student section at Westside. Jan. 25 at a 3 p.m. girls game against North Platte the student section was almost completely empty. In fact, there were parents sitting in the first couple rows of the student area. The boys game that followed only had a couple of rows of students. But do students need to go to these events?

I have never been to a wrestling meet, and I really should go to them. As sports editor of the Lance and Wired, I need to be able to talk about the sports I cover, and I need to go to a meet. But, I think I should go as a student as well. When I think of an athlete who works hard, the first thing I think of are wrestlers. They deserve the support of the student body as much as anyone. Also wrestling is the only high school sport where hand-to-hand combat is not only legal, but encouraged. How do people not want to go see that?

I have only been to one swim meet, and the reason I was there was to live stream the event for Westside Wired. To be honest, I actually had fun watching the swim meet, and the atmosphere was one of the coolest things to be a part of. Everyone in the crowd was into the meet, cheering the swimmers on, willing them to win. And it was all parents, except for a small group of high school girls. Swimming is tough to go to, because the event takes so long and the temperature and humidity in the stands is a bit overwhelming, but would it really be that hard to stop in, just for a little bit?

Basketball is the one sport I consistently watch the varsity teams play. But especially for the girls games, the student section tends to disappoint me. With around 2,000 students in the student body, we can definitely fill up the student section for every home game. The front line of the student section at basketball games is great, but nearer to the top, it is mostly empty, and if there are students there, they probably are not paying attention to the game. This makes no sense to me. Go to the game, cheer on your fellow students and actually pay attention.

A home court advantage, true to its name, is a huge advantage to the players. Both boys and girls teams have a chance at making the state tournament, and our student section is still only half full. The boys and girls basketball teams, and all varsity teams, deserve better than what we are giving them.