An Open Letter to All "Claire Coopers"

[rjmaxx]

Ms. Cooper (and like-minded GU students),

While I do not know you personally, I was troubled by your quote in a Washington Post article following the Hoyas' win over North Carolina:

"I wasn't expecting us to win by any means," said Claire Cooper, 19, also a freshman. "I was studying and I heard the yelling get louder and louder. And I had to come out and watch the next few minutes. I'm very proud and very surprised."

As a Georgetown student who spent countless hours on buses to and from The Capital Centre/US Air Arena in the early 90s, or in the Leavey Center TV lounge, often times with the only solace being that we "played a team close", please understand that I am speaking from experience when I urge you to put down the books for two hours on Saturday evening and cheer on our Hoyas.

I can assure you that a lack of studying during these two hours will not cost you that job at a [insert industry of your choice] firm, or spot in the class of a [insert field of study] graduate program.

And just think of the stories you'll have to tell to your investment banking analyst colleagues or business school case study classmates when you're scarfing down pizza during a 2am work/study session.

I would also be happy to forward you a copy of "I Am Charlotte Simmons" if you need any other pointers.

Sincerely,
rjmaxx

[lichoya68]

AGREE THIS IS YOUR TIME AND PLACE AND THE HOYAS IN HISTORY TAKE A BREAK AND SMELL THE COFFEE GO TO ATALNTA SCHOOL WILL BE THERE LIFE IS SHORT WORKHARD BUT HAVE FUN EVERY DAY PLEASESEEEE THESES MOMENTS IN YOU LIFE ARE MORE PRECIOUS THAN YOU REALIZE AT THE MOMENT GOHOAYS GOSTUDS TO ATLANTA BEAT THE BUCKS AND EAT THE BANNANA IT MIGHT BE GONE WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY

[bubbrubbhoya]

I am sooo happy someone started this thread. When I saw this article I threw up in my mouth a little. I'm gonna go ahead and Edited some people off here, but what was the WaPo writer thinking interviewing exclusively freshman girls for this article? I mean, is the writer nuts? The people interviewed showed almost 0 interest in Hoyas basketball, and for someone to say, "I wasn't expecting us to win by any means," is not only borderline treasonous, but it is also about the most ignorant statement I have heard regarding Hoyas basketball this year (and that is saying a lot, considering some of the outrageous statements that sometimes show up on this board). This girl should go crawl into her dorm room hole and never show her face again. That, or transfer to Smith, where she won't have to deal with the intricacies of men's basketball. Was the writer having a hard time finding fans in the midst of a giant fan celebration? Ummm...no. I'm sure there were plenty of seniors (girls and boys) out on the streets who would have given a great interview replete with an appreciation of how far this program has come since their 13-15 freshman year. The writer sucks, and freshman girls will take a long time to live this one down.

[TC]

I love the Tom Wolfe reference.

[DonkDonk]

totally agree bubbrub. as a reporter, if you get quotes like that you definitely don't use them as they don't match the obvious passion and pandemonium that was occurring. the quotes just did not capture the moment in the slightest.

and I also agree with rjmaxxx' sentiments, studying during the game is like a slapping a fellow Hoya in the face.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

bubbrubbhoya said:

what was the WaPo writer thinking interviewing exclusively freshman girls for this article?

I think he had a plan ... especially if all of these interviews occured in New South ...

[tal1286]

donkdonk said:

totally agree bubbrub. as a reporter, if you get quotes like that you definitely don't use them as they don't match the obvious passion and pandemonium that was occurring. the quotes just did not capture the moment in the slightest.

and I also agree with rjmaxxx' sentiments, studying during the game is like a slapping a fellow Hoya in the face.

this is exactly my feeling.

I'm Pretty much embarrassed for myself and every Georgetown Fan who has ever cheered for the Hoyas.

[HometownHoya]

Should submit this to the Hoya (similar to that ORU or ODU or w/e fan that was)...I'm sure that "Claire Coopers" doesn't read this and I do not know her, so can't show it to her...but she is a sad sad representation of the class of 2010, infact I don't even want to call her one of our own

[Cambridge]

I think you should add that as a potential future employer...I would definitely ask a fellow Hoya where they were on this night, their answer would definitely weigh heavily in my decision.

[The Stig]

I choose to take our Easter Bunny as more representative of Georgetown fans. He's a great guy who loves the Hoyas, has lots of fun at the games (obviously), makes the game (and the entire roadtrip) more fun for the rest of us, and is willing to look absolutely ridiculous to support his Hoyas.

He gets a well-deserved shout-out in Luke Winn's Tournament Blog: sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/ncaa_tourney/2007/2007/03/hoya-revival-at-meadowlands.html

[hoyaboy1]

I was also appalled when I read that. I could never understand the kids who claimed they couldn't spare a few hours to watch the game.

I easily wasted 70+ hours a week doing absolutely nothing in college. What the hell is wrong with these people?

[HoyaInsomniac]

hoyaboy1 said:

I was also appalled when I read that. I could never understand the kids who claimed they couldn't spare a few hours to watch the game.

I easily wasted 70+ hours a week doing absolutely nothing in college. What the hell is wrong with these people?

Ditto. Only I think it was way more than 70 hours... how much work could you possibly have not to at least be aware of the phenomenon that has taken over the entire campus?

[McBricks]

Kids need to realize that 99.9% of what's important in college doesn't happen in a classroom.

[HoyaSC]

Ugh. I remember these people who thought basketball was somehow beneath them. Some people aren't sports fans and never will be.

I also remember the people who continued to pull for their hometown team and didn't follow the Hoyas. Those people were worse because to some extent, they were sports fans.

Georgetown's always going to have these types. But from what I can tell, it looks like they are in a ever-decreasing minority. The team gets a lot of credit for that, but the students and their new organizations get lots of credit, too.

[Deleted]

Claire Coopers = BUM.

[theexorcist]

I know that we don't think that Claire Coopers is a hero to everyone in the bait shop, but why do we have to castigate someone we've never met and we don't know?

Maybe she doesn't like to watch basketball. Maybe she thinks that watching the team is bad luck. Maybe there's a reason she really needed to study. She's a real person. She didn't do anything bad to anyone. Knock it off.

Some people don't like sports or watching sports. That doesn't make them bad people. It is, however, joyous that anyone associated with Georgetown, even those that don't really follow the basketball team, feels a little more pride and connection to their school.

[Madgesdiq]

theexorcist said:

I know that we don't think that Claire Coopers is a hero to everyone in the bait shop, but why do we have to castigate someone we've never met and we don't know?

Maybe she doesn't like to watch basketball. Maybe she thinks that watching the team is bad luck. Maybe there's a reason she really needed to study. She's a real person. She didn't do anything bad to anyone.

Then she should have declined to be interviewed for a basketball story in the WaPo.

I knew too many Claire Coopers in my time at the Hilltop!

[hoyatmf]

Exorcist,
I agree to a point. I think it's shoddy and/or shady reporting for any publication to run this quote as opposed to that of someone who actually loves Hoya basketball and has a bit of perspective about how far we've come in the last four years. I guess we will never know exactly what her situation was-maybe she is struggling to maintain her gpa for a scholarship and had a big test the next day. I imagine most of us would be hard pressed to find any academic commitment that would have led us to miss the game. Still the fact that even this girl, who obviously knows nothing about the team managed to leave her books behind to join the celebration says something about the impact of this team on even the most casual fan. So let's take something positive away from this while also wondering aloud why any publication would interview such a clueless student and print this unless they had some bias against the Hoyas. Go Hoyas!!! Stay focused and beat OSU!

[Deleted]

theexorcist = BUM.

[Cambridge]

theexorcist said:

I know that we don't think that Claire Coopers is a hero to everyone in the bait shop, but why do we have to castigate someone we've never met and we don't know?

Maybe she doesn't like to watch basketball. Maybe she thinks that watching the team is bad luck. Maybe there's a reason she really needed to study. She's a real person. She didn't do anything bad to anyone. Knock it off.

Some people don't like sports or watching sports. That doesn't make them bad people. It is, however, joyous that anyone associated with Georgetown, even those that don't really follow the basketball team, feels a little more pride and connection to their school.

Stop defending your sister. She is a tramp.