I chose Indiana under the impression that there was some type of special rich history and tradition that resides inside Assembly Hall.

That just by stepping foot into the prestigious old basketball gym, you could immediately sense the atmosphere Bob Knight once ruled. That very strict, hard-nosed coach that elevated Indiana University towards national exposure could be considered tangible.

That very special history and tradition was winning, but winning the right way. Bob Knight may have been ruthless on and off the court, but his players were always the most fundamentally sound.

When I stepped foot into Assembly Hall, I saw the National Championship trophies, I scanned the many pictures of the Hall of Fame players Indiana once had: Scott May, Isiah Thomas, George McGinnis, and others that to an IU fan were legends.

As I walked in, did I immediately feel the presence of Bob Knight? Did I fully understand what that rich history and tradition exists inside Assembly Hall?

My parents were able to relate to the charisma of Knight and the tradition/history of winning that Assembly Hall illuminated. But I was not fully able to grasp it all, until my Dad gave me summaries of each great year and player.

So that history and tradition of winning was not so easily expressed across the arena to a young person like myself, but it was moreso a learned impression.

As we take our first step onto Indiana University, we as students are told to embrace that very rich history/tradition of winning that Indiana University basketball once had. And if being told is not enough, than you will learn by going to Assembly Hall and experiencing it for yourself.

My four years at Assembly Hall as a student have ended. After being lectured on and experiencing the so-called tradition/history of winning, I myself have recognized a different custom that exists in Assembly Hall.

It is a lack of synergy between students and Alumni.

In my four years, have I truly been accustomed to the tradition of winning?

Not particularly, with the exception of the first half of my freshman year, 2007 (Kelvin Sampson firing), Indiana has won a total of 31 games. To put just 31 wins into perspective, some of the best teams in the country are on the verge of winning 30 games this season (Kansas, Pittsburgh, Duke, and Ohio State).

So I ask, even in the last 10 years, where has the tradition of winning been a part of Indiana?

In the last 10 years, Indiana has appeared in the NCAA Tournament six times with a record of 8-6. However, that winning record is in large part due to their run to the national title game in 2001-02. With six appearances in 10 years, with the exception of the national title run, Indiana has never made it past the second round.

The tradition and history that Bob Knight once instilled into the minds of Indiana Hoosier fans has been lost among the students in today’s era.

This notion, this lack of synergy existing between the students and Alumni is evident during every game at Assembly Hall.

Students love to yell profanity, obscure chants, “bullshit!” (after a bad call). But a more significant one is “stand up old people.”

These chants of “stand up old people,” originated at a time when students and alumni sat among each other. Throughout home games, students would try to stand during games and as a result they would block the alumni. It caused many issues and students began the chants “stand up old people” to persuade everyone to get on their feet and cheer.

It never fared well with the alumni, nor does it still. Students today have been blamed for being too vulgar at Assembly Hall. From yelling “bullshit” after a bad call or yelling “asshole” to an opposing player, the high use of profanity has caused for a major issue among the alumni and community.

One of my editors, Dr. Clavio, and I were talking about this notion of lack of synergy and he had this to say.

“Knight demanded a respectful audience, he grew up in a respectful area and he believed there was a distinction between slugs vs. mature. The alumni still believe in upholding that respectful atmosphere. The problem was, there was never a student section. Students were among the alums, which became an issue. The whole stand up old people was an issue and it continues today. Students want to be a part of something exciting right now, while the Alums still believe the long-term success is more important.”

We are often lectured about how much Indiana use to win, and so as students we are impatient. We want to win now, we want to experience that winning tradition/history that Indiana once had.

Despite having a disappointing decade of basketball, students have continued to attend games at maximum capacity, and cheer loud enough to serve as the sixth man.

But what does acting like a sixth man involve? Swearing, being obnoxious, intoxicated, and everything else you can relate to what a college student would do at a sporting event.

The conflict then is that the alumni expect students to behave in the mature manner Bob Knight once demanded.

How can alumni expect students to act in a manner that they have never experienced but only told?

After every game at Assembly Hall, alumni leave the stadium complaining about how disrespectful IU students are, and newspapers and websites write articles about profanity being an issue for IU. All along, nothing is ever done to fix these concerns.

And more importantly, students do not care to change their attitudes.

The lack of synergy creates a division among a crowd that shares a common denominator for loving IU.  It is separating students from alumni, it is causing for frustration among the crowd.

But most of all, it is tainting Indiana Basketball.

When you think of tradition and history of any University, you consider their history of winning, but also their tradition of the crowd’s effect during a game.

Our crowd is an issue, our crowd needs to come together, our fans need to put their differences aside to help IU win now.

Many may feel the only obstacle to renew the history and tradition that was once ignited with Knight, is to win. However, before Indiana’s future top recruits enroll into Bloomington, we need to change this clash between the students and alumni.

We need to find a way to unite as a sixth man to then cheer the right way, together as one.