Northwestern women’s basketball games experience dwindling attendance with lack of school provided transportation. Izzy Pareja has the story.
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IT’S A COLD AND SNOWY WEDNESDAY NIGHT, AS THE NORTHWESTERN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM PREPARES TO TAKE ON CHICAGO STATE. THE BAND BOOMS AND THE CHEERLEADERS SMILE AND WAVE TOWARD THE STANDS AS THE PLAYERS WARM UP, A PERFECTLY EXECUTED SHOW OF SCHOOL SPIRIT.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, THE STANDS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY EMPTY . . . WHERE ARE THE STUDENTS?
THE STUDENT ATTENDANCE FOR NORTHWESTERN’S MEN’S BASKETBALL GAMES RECENTLY HIT AN ALL-TIME HIGH, REACHING 1511 STUDENTS AT THE GAME AGAINST RUTGERS ON JANUARY 11 ACCORDING TO A POST MADE BY THE OFFICIAL NORTHWESTERN MEN’S BASKETBALL TWITTER ACCOUNT. HOWEVER, WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAMES ARE STRUGGLING TO SEE EVEN CLOSE TO THE SAME SUPPORT FROM OUR STUDENT SECTION. I WAS ABLE TO SEE THIS FIRST HAND WHEN I ATTENDED THEIR HOME GAME THIS PAST WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25TH, WHERE I FOUND THAT I WAS ONE OF FOUR STUDENTS IN THE STUDENT SECTION.
I TALKED TO TWO OTHER ATTENDEES, MEDILL SOPHOMORE MAGGIE ROSE BARON AND WEINBERG SOPHOMORE TESS WAGNER, TO GET MORE INSIGHT ON WHY THIS MAY BE.
[Izzy Pareja]: How often do you attend Northwestern women’s basketball games?
[Maggie Rose Baron]: I would say pretty often, whenever I could get to them this year.
I’ve been to . . . I would say maybe four or five?
I’ve been to . . . I would say maybe four or five?
[Tess Wagner]: I’d say more often than most people (laughs). Yeah, I’ve probably been
to three or four this year so far.
to three or four this year so far.
SO WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? FOR ONE, NORTHWESTERN TENDS TO PROVIDE
TRANSPORTATION FOR WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAMES MUCH LESS FREQUENTLY THAN THEY DO FOR THE MEN’S GAMES. THE NORTHWESTERN STUDENT GAME DAY TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING PAGE LISTS SCHEDULED SHUTTLES FOR SEVEN MEN’S HOME GAMES THIS SEASON, NOT INCLUDING THE SHUTTLES SCHEDULED LATER FOR GAMES LIKE RUTGERS VERSUS NORTHWESTERN. ON THE OTHER HAND, ONLY FOUR WOMEN’S HOME GAMES HAVE SCHEDULED SHUTTLES SO FAR. THIS POSES A NUMBER OF OBSTACLES FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR OUR WOMEN’S TEAM CONSISTENTLY.
[TW]: I took the intercampus today, and I’m taking a safe ride home. I think women’s
games are not as accessible as men’s games. There are never buses, and I’d like to get
to more games, but I don’t because there are no buses.
[MRB]: I feel like half the time I’ve walked because there haven’t been any buses,
especially—-there was a game Sunday and there was no 201 running. So yeah, either I
take the 201 bus, or I walk. It’s definitely so much worse for women’s games. There’s
not like an easy way to get there, like you have to figure it out yourself. And, you know,
it’s easier for me because I live further north, so it’s only like a 20 minute walk, but if I
were living on south campus, and it would take like 40-45 minutes to get there, there’s
no way that I would be making it all the way up there to those games.
to more games, but I don’t because there are no buses.
[MRB]: I feel like half the time I’ve walked because there haven’t been any buses,
especially—-there was a game Sunday and there was no 201 running. So yeah, either I
take the 201 bus, or I walk. It’s definitely so much worse for women’s games. There’s
not like an easy way to get there, like you have to figure it out yourself. And, you know,
it’s easier for me because I live further north, so it’s only like a 20 minute walk, but if I
were living on south campus, and it would take like 40-45 minutes to get there, there’s
no way that I would be making it all the way up there to those games.
THE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS AVAILABLE ARE QUITE DISCOURAGING: THE
CTA 201 BUS RARELY RUNS PAST 8:30 DURING THE WEEK AND ONLY ON
SATURDAYS DURING THE WEEKEND, THE INTERCAMPUS SHUTTLE APPEARS
AT EACH STOP ONCE EVERY HOUR, AND THE WALK FROM THE WELSH-RYAN
ARENA TO THE NORTH-MOST POINT OF CAMPUS TOTALS TO ABOUT 25 MINS.
THIS, IN COMBINATION WITH EVANSTON’S NOTORIOUSLY BRUTAL WINTER
WEATHER AND STUDENTS’ TYPICAL BUSY SCHEDULES, MAKES THE IDEA OF
ATTENDING A WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAME WITHOUT SHUTTLES LESS THAN
APPEALING FOR EVEN THE MOST DEDICATED OF FANS.
[MRB]: It takes more time and effort, that you have to put into it, which shouldn’t be the
case because it’s just going to a sports game.
[TW]: It definitely demotivates me going to the games, especially when it’s cold out.
ALTHOUGH THE MEN’S TEAM BOASTS A BETTER RECORD AND MORE
SUCCESSES COMPARED TO OUR WOMEN’S TEAM THIS SEASON, THE LACK OF
BUSES FOR WOMEN’S GAMES SEEMS TO BE A TREND THAT EXTENDS BEYOND
JUST THIS YEAR.
[TW]: I had the same problem last year. There were nights where I would go out and
then decide not to walk the 20 minutes in the snow and the cold.
[MRB]: I would honestly . . . guess it’s been going on for a while? Which seems even
worse considering last year, and you know, years prior to that, the women’s team was
the team that was good, not the men’s team.
BOTH BARON AND WAGNER AGREE THAT SCHEDULING SHUTTLES FOR MORE
WOMEN’S GAMES WOULD LIKELY INCREASE THE ATTENDANCE, AND ARE
HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
WOMEN’S GAMES WOULD LIKELY INCREASE THE ATTENDANCE, AND ARE
HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
[MRB]: There’s definitely a difference, I would say, in the games. You know, there was a
game yesterday and there were hardly any students there because there was no shuttle
running for that game. And I think they’ve had some games in the past where there
have been shuttles, but I definitely know that those games are more attended. So yeah,
it definitely makes a difference.
[TW]: I think it should be more equitable between the men and women’s games.
FOR WNUR NEWS, THIS IS IZZY PAREJA.
