No More Townies

This is a word from a "townie", representing my fellow "townies"...

Yeah, it's tradition, but we don't aprectiate being called "townies". We're not townies. Well not all of us.

So please, cut back on, "townie's up". Say something else. I don't care about tradition. We don't like to be called townies.

Thank you,

A Non Townie

townie = non-student

got a better word?

'nuff said

Edit: at first I thought this was gonna be a thread saying all the tickets should go to students... at least it was more sensible than that



Post Edited (10-31-03 23:48)

"So please, cut back on, "townie's up". Say something else. I don't care about tradition. We don't like to be called townies."
--it happens once a game. Not exactly sure how you "cut back" on that.

If you and your fellow townies would just stand up, the chant wouldn't be necessary! You'd think after being told to stand up game after game, you people would be able to do it without being told to...


But then that spoils the fun.

What would you substitute for Townie, mr. nadatownie?

I don't know. But stop calling us damn townies.

And it's MRS.nadatownie,, thanks!!

"Townies, alums, and other non-student members of the Cornell University community up! Townies, alums, and other non-student members of the Cornell University community up!"

Rolls *right* off the tongue

Considering a vast majority of the non-students are townies, "townies" is the most applicable word. Further, it's not like "townies" is meant in a pejorative sense. Rather, I and most of the students recognize "townies" as people who are there year after year, game in and game out, and always able to fill up the seats and get Lynah full.

Further, hoping to get something of this magnitude done will be as futile as the administration's attempt to get rid of cursing in cheers has been.

As a "townie", although I don't live in the town, all I can say is "Lighten up". If that's all you've got to worry, complain, or talk about, I feel sorry for you.

oh c'mon, seriously.

you are a townie, accept it. It isn't derogatory.

If it were up to me, all tickets would to go to cornell students/alumni.

I guess we could just say "Stand up" and not address those residing in sections H-N and C (and sometimes O) specifically at all. Would that be acceptable, NadaTownie et al?

Of course, maybe I shouldn't be telling anyone to stand up, since I'm stuck in the sitting portion of G.

I've always thought of "townies" as a positive term. Townies have kids, jobs, and dignity.

While I doubt something like a chant will actually get changed, one possibility would be "On your feet!" which fits into the same rhythm.

At SCBern games, they would sing-song "Steht auf, wenn ihr Berner seid," which means "Stand up if you're Bernese." The Cornell equivanlent (in English, since I know how much you all love my attempts to start German cheers) would be "Stand up, if you're for Cornell."

How about "Stand up if you can!"?

This would distinguish us from Dartmouth fans, at least.

I like "On your feet!"
Works for us.

Or why not "everybody up?"

As a kid who grew up in New Haven, I have to agree that "townie" has a pejorative connotation, intended or not. And the all-inclusive "everybody" gives it less a sense of one group ordering another to do something. Nobody likes having someone else tell them what to do.

Everybody up works too.

Thanks to everyone who is trying to help the situation, it means a lot to me and my "fellow townies".

always has been, and forever will be, "TOWNIES UP!"

Unless, of course, the non-student residents of Ithaca would actually stand when they're supposed to. Then it wouldn't be necessary, and it wouldn't have to go on forever.

JH

Nope

I think the most important thing here is that even if everyone on this board agreed to change, it wouldn't change a damn thing. How many students do you think read this board? 2 or 3 dozen at most, with probably less than 10 regular student contributors. You think we can change a cheer of 1500 other people? Not gonna happen.

Secondly, while, in the general context, townies does have a a pejorative connotation, I've never felt that way in hockey. Lynah is a community atmosphere and 'the townie section' is just the half of the rink that is filled by people that aren't Cornell students - professors, alums, everything like that.

Here's my question for you "Nada townie"...
Do you live in the Ithaca area?
Are you a student at Cornell?

If you answers are yes and no, then YOU'RE A TOWNIE. Doesn't matter if you're also a professor, or graduated from Cornell . Through a connection of my parents, I've considered a job in the Ithaca area... then I'd be a townie, and I'd admit it.

And, if you don't live in the Ithaca area, then you're probably not going to be to very many games, and you can probably deal with it for the 2 or 3 times you do go. And if you're a student, what the heck are you doing over there??

P.S. Chill out



Post Edited (11-01-03 13:40)

I spent 4 years in the stands as a student, and then 7 more as a townie. I find neither the term nor the cheer derogatory . Now I consider myself an Out-of-Townie.

Chris

I've been a townie for years, and can't understand why anyone would be offended. What exactly is supposed to be wrong with being called a townie, that I might be offended by being one?

I think whining about being called a townie is silly. If I were a student, I'd be inclined to react negatively to this sort of whining.

Maybe it should be:

Nadatownies UP!
Nadatownies UP!
Nadatownies UP!

Or..
Hey Mrs. Nadatownie, your mom called, and she said...
Your a Townie.
Townies UP!
Townies UP!
Townies UP!

mike wrote:

I've been a townie for years, and can't understand why anyone would be offended. What exactly is supposed to be wrong with being called a townie, that I might be offended by being one?

I think whining about being called a townie is silly. If I were a student, I'd be inclined to react negatively to this sort of whining.

Maybe it should be:

Nadatownies UP!
Nadatownies UP!
Nadatownies UP!

Or..
Hey Mrs. Nadatownie, your mom called, and she said...
Your a Townie.
Townies UP!
Townies UP!
Townies UP!

LOL!

Instead of a telephone cheer for the goalie, a telephone cheer for a townie instead (nah, in addition)....that has promise!

Y'all are too kind.

Hey goalie...the residents of Ithaca and nearby communities who are not students here at Cornell called. They said....YOU SUCK!!! And don't call us townies!

JH

Point to A: "Gown!"
Point to M: "Town!"
Point to O: "Clown!"

Agreed. God willing, I will be an Ithaca townie one of these days: the only thing I have yet to figure out is how to get an equivalent salary living in Podunk, NY.

Cheers,
Kyle

As the big bald guy in the second row of Section N, who lives in the area and works at Cornell, I just want to say that I have no problem being called a "townie".

After all, the chant is "townies up", not "townies suck"!

Keep up the chant, and thanks for gettin' us townies up on our feet!

Wow, I know I've been too a lot of games when I recognize who you are by a 3 word description.

Am I the only one who is not insulted by the term "townies," but rather the mindless insistence on standing up at EVERY SINGLE GAME REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION? Yes, it's dramatic, yes it can be inspiring, but do it all the time and it loses the COMPLETELY. There have been very effective uses of this in the past; now it's just another mechanical thing that happens just because.

EDIT: Obviously I'm not talking about the student section.



Post Edited (11-02-03 00:19)

As a person born in Ithaca, I was happy to sit in the townie side growing up. Now I sit in the student section as a cornellian. Have a turned my back on my town in shame? Do i considered it an insult to be called townie? No! I am damn proud of being a townie.

"Townies up" is a comunication between the sides of the rink: its a message, telling the townies how exicted we students are. Perhaps sometimes those sitting on the townie side of lynah could get up and show us students and student-townies how proud they are of our team in the closing minutes of a close game.

-Ben Rocky
Cornell '04
Ithaca High '00

I lost a LOT of respect for townies when I saw a fairly decent amount get up to start leaving with about a minute left during the game last night and us down by 2. That showed a lot about how much some townies care. When Cornell scored to pull within one with 30 sec or so to go, I didn't want to see those people who left back.

i think a larger problem is the clapping delinquency of section ~D to ~G +/- 1 or 2 sections. JUST WATCH THE FOLKS IN SECTION A. its not that difficult. not only is the clapping at the WRONG frequency, coming in and out of phase with the band's beat, it is sometimes just completely WRONG, like during the Gonna Fly Now/Gary Glitter cheer in the 3rd period of Friday's game. Maybe we need Clapping 101.

For those who didn't understand my first post, I'm happy with being called a townie (even though I live a hour away). I totally agree with Lowell, it's just been used too much. This past weekend was an exception. Friday was perfect ly timed, although I thought Saturday's call to stand with over 4 minutes to play was too soon for the desired effect. You are just not goting to sustain the enthusiasm for that long.

In regards to clapping, it's just too hard, at the other end of the rink, to mantain the rhythm. It would be alot better if the band and students were in the middle. But fat chance for that. There is the same problem after a goal with the counting 1,2,3,etc.. Being across the ice I find it easier to watch the clapping of A, to keep on time, but for those in D,E, & F it's harder, especially since C interrupts the pattern.

I’ve tried to avoid posting to this thread, but I can’t resist because I’ve been on both sides. Here is my perspective as a student/townie who has been going to games since before I could walk (season tickets since I was 8). I’ve had seats in Townie land and in section B.

1. distressedClapper is right, section D – G look like they are applauding during Gary Glitter, not clapping in rhythm, but it is hard for them to see section A and B.

2. Being called Townies is fine, although there a few people who would rather the chant be “Stand Up” instead of “Townies Up” as mentioned earlier I’m not sure it is likely to change. Many townies don’t have a problem standing up, but sometimes when you are standing up in front of someone who is older they really might not want to stand up for a long period of time or stand up, sit down, stand up. This causes the section to look like one of those games where you hit little guys that pop up and down with hammer. (Half the section stands then they sit, then one guy stands, so the guy behind him stands, then the first person sits etc.) In a close game the townies will eventually rise to their feet, but it might be a few minutes after the first chants of “townies up”.

3. You should not lose respect for townies who leave early. Some of the individuals who leave early are some of Cornell Hockey’s most devout followers / benefactors to the hockey program. They leave early because, age, or health conditions, make it easier for them to walk up the stairs before the masses. I know of at least a few people who leave the home games early, but you also will see them at almost all of Cornell’s away games.

4. I’d say most townies are just as crazy about CU hockey as the students are they just can’t express it quite as well as the students at the games, a good number are alumni that probably were loud and crazy as students. When you are surrounded by people who know you in a professional context, since most townies work in Ithaca or at Cornell, you can’t quite be as rambunctious. I mean do you really want to see your professor or your doctor with their shirt off yelling “Hey goalie your Mom called…” ?
That said there are some people in the townie section who yell loudly and with quite amusing things at opposing players, coaches, and refs. Since it isn’t the whole section, the student side probably misses many of these hilarious outbursts. It isn’t just younger townies or kids either, the funniest comments usually come from the older individuals who have been yelling at the other teams for decades. If you want to see/hear townie enthusiasm go sit in section O on a night when the visiting team brings a band. Watching “mature adults” see who can toss more popcorn down a tuba is almost as much fun as watching the game.

5. Here’s an idea lets start take a townie to section B day and take a student to section M day.



Evan ‘02
Dryden High ‘98

I agree with Lowell as well. I didn't join in last night (well, I may've after it gained traction, but I remember thinking at first it was just silly timing). 4 minutes left, down by 2? Come on, if we were within one, absolutely, with like, a minute or two left.

I know we say this team needs some seasoning, but I get the feeling the crowd does as well. "Good goalie, bad goalie" does NOT MAKE SENSE when we're down 2-1... it just doesn't. May as well chant scoreboard, for crying out loud. Any form of sieve, on the other hand, is always appropriate.

Entertaining crowd note of the night: There was this guy towards the back of B who was clearly a parent or something... a bigger guy with a light beard, somewhat deep, somewhat gravely voice. Apparently he comes from the boxing-school-of-hockey, cause he was constantly saying "HIT HIM!... That's it!" Over and over... "HIT HIM!... That's it!", "HIT HIM!... That's it!", "HIT HIM!... That's it!". He musta said that phrase nearly 100 times last night. Interesting cat .

I must say that after having season tickets for four years as an undergrad, as a vet student, I am now sitting in the "townie" section of the rink because of the line number fiasco. However I am proud to be in the "townie" section of Lynah because at least most of the "townies" are actually at the rink in time for the playing of the national anthems and the annoucing of the starting line ups. I was really disappointed with how few students there were in D, E, F and even half of B for the start of the games on Friday and Saturday nights. Guess that's what happens when most of the student season tickets go to people who aren't really that devoted to keeping up the Lynah traditions.

Hmm, this seems to be the thread where different factions of the Lynah Faithful get to bitch at each other. I don't know about the rest of you, but my twisted sense of humor finds all of this really funny. So, I guess I'll just jump in and be heard.

First, my history with the Faithful: This is my fifth year having seats in the student sections at Lynah. In order, I've been in G, E, D, F, and now again in G.

Since the clapping thing is relevant to me and my seat location, I'll address that. Personally, I do try to watch those in A and B to try to synchronize clapping. However, it's difficult, mainly because: (1) D and E can't really see A and B that easily, so they develop their own rhythm, which is ultimately at the right tempo but is off by half-a-second from the band--that's the speed of sound for you, I guess; (2) F and G tend to go along with D and E in what to clap to, because they are more easily visible than A and B (although A and B are visible from F and G); and (3)F and G--and D and E, unfortunately--have more facetimers and/or undereducated freshmen than current true Faithful would like, and they don't know the routine. So, you guys closer to the band keep on doing what you're doing for the most part, and those of us among the Faithful trapped on the far side of Lynah this year will do our best to educate the ignorant.

For what it's worth, I do try to watch A and B in order to synchronize clapping (being that light travels faster than sound, of course), which brings me to a question for those in B. What's with the throwing your hands up in the air during Gary Glitter? Where did that come from? How did that start? Not criticizing, so much as wondering what's going on.

So if Nieuwendyk comes to a game at Lynah, he's a townie?