Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

As a student who has attended her fair share of Colorado State University’s football games, I understand that the seats located at the 50-yard line are highly coveted, especially in the student section. But since the moving of CSUs marching band to this highly coveted area, it seems like the environment of the student section has changed.

I mean, during my first game, I couldn’t find a seat anywhere, so I needed to go up to the level above the student section, which technically has ticketed seats. And during that game, I ran into the issue of University of Northern Colorado students making comments like, “How dare CSU students think they can sit wherever they want.” Despite the fact that my roommate and I were sitting there just fine, we just didn’t ask if the seats were taken. And then when I tried to move down to the student section and sit with the other students, there was no way to get close to the field. I was in the back row staring at the screens instead of being able to watch the game actually play out in front of me.

“I don’t see much more organized cheers happening now that they have moved. Instead, I think it is more whoever is the loudest will get their attention. They seem to be more like a noise that you hear in the background and accept.”

Then for the Rocky Mountain Showdown, despite entering the stadium an hour and a half before kickoff, I still was forced to find seats in an area that was ticketed, and even when trying to go to the areas where the student section should extend, I was stopped from entering because they were a ticketed area. I mean, with the CSU marching band right in the center of the student section, my group and I were forced out of nearly three spots before filing in on the stairs and waiting for people to move for us to make our way into the stands.

The issue with the marching band being in the middle of the student section isn’t just that they are at the 50-yard line; it is because of the amount of space they take up. I mean, as a former band student, I don’t ever remember being so close to the student section in the football stands because we didn’t want our instruments to be damaged. And I get that this is why a large perimeter is blocked off around the marching band. But that also creates an issue in which the students can’t even get close to the band due to the tape and event staff surrounding them.

The goal of this move, according to an email sent to those who receive athletics updates, was that it would provide an opportunity for them to “work with the student section and use our cheer and pom teams to work in unison with our students to create a competitive advantage for our teams.”

But from a personal sense, I don’t see much more organized cheers happening now that they have moved. Instead, I think it is more whoever is the loudest will get their attention. They seem to be more like a noise that you hear in the background and accept.

But if the goal is to create an immersed environment with the students, wouldn’t it make more sense to not have them blocked off by the students being able to join them? Wouldn’t it make more sense for the students to be able to get as close as possible to join and share in the fun with them?

I mean, if we are going to put the band in the student section that is already pretty packed, it would make sense to let people still pack into their highly coveted seats as close as possible. But if that isn’t enough, then it would also make sense to just move them back so the highly crowded student section doesn’t have a glaring patch that will be even more obvious when students start to leave.

But the biggest thing is that students can’t get super close to the band once the stadium starts to clear out and students file in to make it less obvious that the student section left when CSU isn’t winning. So having them there may pack the stands, but really, it just makes it more obvious how unenthused our student section is when we lose.

Reach Dominique Lopez at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @caffeinateddee6.