I Bought the Syracuse 4 Year Ticket Pass and Severely Regret My Life Choices
Graphic by Miguel Rodriguez
It's 2024, and I’m Syracuse bound. I check my emails to stay on top of approaching deadlines when I’m alerted to an email from Syracuse University Sports. I click on it, thinking it's some fun info; but, what awaits is a blue and orange screen reminding me to buy my SU tickets, the one or four year pass. I remember sitting down with my dad at the kitchen table where he tells me I should probably get the four year pass. I’m a college student now, so I guess that means I have to go to every single game. Fit the part. Now, it's 2 years later, and I’ve only been to 1-2 games this year, both of which I left early from.
I regret buying those tickets.
Why I don’t attend Syracuse games are for mainly two reasons. First, I’m super busy with work all the time, I would rather watch Netflix in my spare time than get all dressed up in Blue and Orange. Second, we’rehonestly mediocre at best. When I do go, I usually get bored because we lose like all the damn time. I always have notifications on my phone alerting me to games happening, and I never want to go because I know what awaits is disappointment.
When I was applying to Syracuse, I remember my dad would tell me about the glory days. I would hear all about the March Madness tournaments we were in, the championships we won, the games my dad was there for where the dome erupted in cheers. It felt like to have that college experience; it made the most sense to buy the four-year pass. After buying it and trying to be that student I thought I had to be, I gave up. I realized it was just cultural hegemony.
Cultural hegemony, what is it, why is it, who is it? News flash, not a person. But, in simple terms, it's when there is a strong influence over culture due to values, beliefs, and societal perceptions that shape what the world's view of “common sense” is. Thank you Google. A good example of hegemony would be the nuclear family structure, because of values and social perceptions, there is a wide belief that a family of 4 is considered the “perfect” family. Why do we call it a “perfect” family when sizes of different families don’t determine how amazing they are? These families started after World-War ll, but their popularity and description as the “perfect” family came from Hollywood where specific family models were seen as “natural”.
A popular case of hegemony we see on college campuses is Greek life, its both social and cultural. For some people, they dictate their pick of universities based on greek life reputation and social standings. To some, it's ideal to have that experience of going through rush, getting your big, repping your letters. It's what some have to do to fulfill that normal college experience. In no way am I dogging on greek life when I explore my hatred for cultural hegemony; I’m just out over $1,000 dollars. It's just interesting to think about how our wants are dictated by what the world shapes as “common sense”. I just question what were some peoples reasons for joining Greek life, was it because of Legally Blonde?
Looking back at the summer before college, I don't really blame myself for buying the 4-year pass. Sure, it sucks and is completely going to waste. But, I’m comfortable with the fact that I tried going to games and found out that they weren't for me, because of that, I don't have to waste my time worrying that I’m missing out on a core college experience. There is no such thing as becoming and fulfilling what it's like to become the average college student; we all have our criteria for what that means. For some, that means joining Greek life, going to the games, partying on the weekends, or being a part of a fun club. It's what our values in connection with society have perpetuated as being the most common end goal to truly be fulfilled. But for me, I worry less about what it means to be a fulfilled college student and more about having genuine experiences.