n First off, I would like to make it clear that I am friends with Adam Ostrowski, the gentleman who wrote yesterday claiming that casual fans were ruining the Boston University hockey experience for the people who bleed red and white (“Terrier nation needs to educate themselves,” Sept. 14, p. 7).

Unfortunately, we will need to disagree whole-heartedly on this issue. While I agree about needing to create a greater sense of the Terrier Nation amongst the population, Ostrowski is in no place to complain about casual fans being at the center of Boston University’s new policy designed to clean up foul language.

Ostrowski’s letter fails to mention that BU was forced into action on this issue after NCAA officials complained about fan behavior at a Worcester arena. Based on his letter, casual fans “showing off” to their friends were the problem. Last time I checked, the only people driving or busing to BU games and actually buying their own ticket weren’t casual fans. They were Section 8 fans.

It’s plain and simple. BU let the issue slide for as long as they possibly could. When I was a student at BU I went to a majority of the home games. I’m not going to sit here and say I wasn’t like the others sitting in Section 8, but I’m also not going to say I didn’t use abusive and offensive language towards our opponents. Section 8 slowly became a section I didn’t want to be involved with.

As each season progressed, it became more and more of an on-campus fraternity at BU. Beer drinking and opponent-taunting students filled that section. Anyone within earshot would be guaranteed to hear an obscenity every 30 seconds. Most fans in Section 8 have become the guy five rows in front of you at Fenway Park that you want to shut up or fall down the steps when he goes to get his 15th beer. I commend Ostrowski for defending Terrier Nation, but I hope he realizes that this is just as much a Section 8 issue as it is a casual fan issue.

While I’m sure there are students who fit his description at BU hockey games, it’s difficult to argue that Section 8 fans are not the root of this problem. Section 8 fans walked a fine line and crossed it that evening in Worcester. Lastly, I would like to openly comment on Kendall Lyon’s quote in every national publication that has printed a story about BU’s new policy. For someone to say that “sports won’t be fun anymore” only further proves how bad this issue has become at BU. For someone to openly admit that the only way they can have fun at a BU event is because they can curse at their opponent is disgusting and a black eye to our university. Mr. Lyons, you have a lot of growing up to do before you graduate.

Dan Hillsdon

COM ’03