Student athletes are our classmates, our friends; and they deserve more support from us as fellow students.

Attending a collegiate athletic event, then, is as much about community and a sense of belonging as it is about cheering for first downs. That’s uniquely true at Washington University, where by nature of size, we share a far more intimate setting than that of a 100,000-seat stadium.

For most Washington University freshmen, the transition to college begins this week through Bear Beginnings, but for the 40 freshmen playing football, the process begins before the majority of students even arrive on campus.