President's Committee on Sportsmanship
September 21, 2001, 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Meeting Notes

Jeremy Bates, Vice President for Campus Affairs; Terrence Hines, Vice President for Human Relations; and Emily Malarkey, Vice President for Finance; all from the Student Government Association presented the results of a survey taken by the SGA to gauge students' opinions on sportsmanship. Survey responses are listed below.

385 responses were received; 28% from first-year students, 19% from second year students; 25% from third year students, 23% from fourth year students; and 6% from fifth year or more.

Question: Do you want "Rock and Roll, Part II" to be played at Maryland football/basketball games?
82% Yes
5% No
13% Unfamiliar with the song

Question: On a scale of 1 to 7, 1 being "Hate it" and 7 being "Love it," what do you think about Maryland's version of "Rock and Roll, Part 2?"
2% - 1 (Hate it)
1% - 2
4% - 3
16% - 4
17% - 5
9% - 6
51% - 7 (Love it)

Question: Why do you want "Rock and Roll, Part II" to be played?
23% - It promotes school spirit
21% - It's fun
19% - It promotes enthusiasm/hypes up crowd
15% - It promotes unity
12% - It's a tradition
5% - It's intimidating
4% - It's unique to Maryland
1% - Freedom of speech

Question: On a scale of 1 to 7, 1 being "Hated them" and 7 being "Loved them," what did you think of the bonfires that occurred after the past two Maryland/Duke basketball games?
16% - 1 (Hated them)
10% - 2
14% - 3
18% - 4
12% - 5
7% - 6
10% - 7 (Loved them)
12% - Unfamiliar with them

Question: What do you think should be done about the student seats that currently exist behind the opposing team bench?
60% - Maryland students should be allowed to sit directly behind the opposing team
40% - There should be a buffer zone between Maryland fans and the opposing team

Question: Do you think that the incident when a water bottle was thrown at an opposing team fan damaged the reputation of the University of Maryland?
48% - Yes
27% - No
25% - Unaware of this incident

Question: Did the reputation of Maryland's sports fans influence your decision to attend Maryland?
88% - No
12% - Yes

Question: If you are a freshman or new transfer student this fall, did Maryland's appearance in the Final Four influence your decision to attend Maryland?
64% - No
16% - Yes
20% - Somewhat

Question: Name a spirit initiative/event(s) you would like to see happen at Maryland.
Terp "red out" (getting students to wear red the day before a game)
Fireworks display
Basketball pep rally
University sponsored bonfire
Homecoming parade
Football pep rally
Show away games on big screen TV at Student Union
Rallies before the teams depart for away games
Celebrations when the teams return from away games
Anything on McKeldin Mall (students like to "hang out" on the Mall)
Spirit Week
Spirit Contest

Question: How do you define "sportsmanship?"
Being a good winner or loser
Enjoying the game
Positive attitude and composure

Question: How do you define "fansmanship?"
Supporting one's team
May be extreme but must be non-violent
Showing school pride, but not in a violent manner
Loving your team or school

Based on the survey results, the SGA made the following recommendations:

1. Allow "Rock and Roll, Part 2" to be played at both football and basketball games

2. Allow students to sit behind the opposing team's bench in Cole Field House (Section Q, Rows 1-10).

3. Allow students to participate in controlled bonfires on Fraternity Row. Although "University Sponsored" bonfires garnered student approval, we feel that implicit support from the University is more desirable than official sponsorship.

4. Promote an active advertising campaign that will educate students on the consequences of destructive behavior at games, on campus, and in the area immediately surrounding campus.

5. Encourage administrators to assist the SGA in implementing the following spirit initiatives: Terp "Red Out," fireworks display, and football/basketball pep rally.

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Charles Wellford asked the committee to provide additional comments on the revised draft statement on sportsmanship as soon as possible, so that this draft can be put on the web for comment at the Open Forum on October 11th.