CARBONDALE – After Eastern’s 49-21 rout over Southern here Saturday, I couldn’t get one image out of my head. For those of you who have ever gone to an Eastern basketball game or stuck around after a football game, you know what I’m talking about.

Toward the end of every home game the pep band stands up and sings a song which proclaims, “I’m so glad I go to EIU.” That tune is about all I could think about after spending a majority of the afternoon sitting here in this dump of old bricks and rusted bleachers they call McAndrew Stadium.

It’s easy to think we don’t have things very well at Eastern, but we need to realize things could be a whole lot worse. Believe me.

As a high school senior, I visited two universities before making that all-important decision that changes all of our lives forever. I went to Eastern one weekend and Southern the next.

Eastern seemed like a pretty good fit and by the time I had made the six and a half hour trek to SIU from my home, I pretty much decided I didn’t want to become a Saluki. Boy, am I glad I did.

Not only because of how well things have worked out here at Eastern, but because of how dull things seem to remain at Southern.

Now, mind you, I’m not basing these judgements on the integrity of the school as a learning institution, but what many college students care about – excitement.

While yes, Southern is notorious for its out-of-control Halloween celebrations and 19 bar-entry age, I wouldn’t trade anything for their apathy towards athletics.

While a university’s athletic success and excitement isn’t its most important attribute, it’s something a lot of students and members of the community care about.

I know some high school seniors down south that have picked which Southeastern Conference school they will attend, based upon that school’s football success. While Eastern is not in the SEC, the students at Eastern should be proud of what they have.

When many of us arrived here four years ago, there wasn’t much to be excited about. The football team was mediocre and was a whole lot worse the next year. The basketball team was average at best and there weren’t many other reasons to show up to a game sporting blue and gray.

When I visited Southern as a freshman, the scene was similar. Part of the trip included free tickets to the SIU-Youngstown State football game. I could see why they were giving them away for free. One glance into the near-empty stadium was enough to make me not even want to go in. Saturday’s game here wasn’t any different.

But things also weren’t much different in Charleston four years ago. The first basketball game I went to as an Eastern student barely drew a few hundred fans. The difference now between being a Panther and being a Saluki is the changes that have taken place here and the ones that haven’t at SIU.

In the past couple years, we’ve watched our football program return to the national spotlight with a playoff appearance last year and a top 10 national ranking this season. We’ve also had the opportunity to watch our small school basketball team make it to the NCAA Tournament and dance with the likes of Arizona on one of the biggest stages in sports.

That’s not to mention the success of nearly every other program in the athletic department. So when I showed up to McAndrew Stadium Saturday, needless to say, I was glad I don’t have to peer out of that rackety press box every Saturday to watch a 1-5 team get pummeled all over the place while others complain how basketball season will have nothing better to offer.

In fact, at one point, a student journalist from Southern turned to me and asked, “So tell me how it feels to go to a school where people go to the games and the teams are good?”

I should have turned to him and started singing, “Glory, Hallelugah I go to EIU!”