The student section was intended to be an interactive way for Highlanders to show their school spirit and beat out rivals in the process, but now Friday Night Lights at Adams are shrouded with restrictions and controversy. As upset as the student body is with the new regulations, it is near impossible to argue that administration’s actions are not justified.

The very name of the Adams’ student section caused an uproar with administration, and though The CummZone has no official ties to the school, they were forced to change the official name to @WeRunTheROC as opposed to the name honoring Adams’ principal Mr. Kevin Cumming due to its inappropriate connotation. In all honesty, no matter how much the students who run the section deny it, everyone knows the title was meant to be racy. Last year, the t-shirts branding the old name were banned and students wearing the shirts would not be granted admission to games.

Last month, however, administration had much more important matters to deal with in the student section. The Friday night football game on September 27 was one for the books, with multiple suspensions and so much more by the end of the night. The night got off to a rocky start with some members of the senior class visibly intoxicated at the game. As adults began to take notice, several people ran from  the administration and deputies present at the game. Some were caught and subsequently suspended. There was even an instance in which the ambulance on sight had to become involved. A number of people from the Class of 2017 were noticeably absent from school the following week,. Many students fled from the game when they discovered the potential consequences of staying, and the student section’s stands thinned out greatly.

To make matters worse, students began to blast a crude and explicit song from their speakers and sang it directly at an administrator. The student responsible was promptly forcibly removed from the game, only to sneak back in multiple times after being repeatedly kicked out.

Administration was understandably upset at the incident and sought repercussions beyond the individual punishments, which included four suspensions and three MIPs (minor in possession). The student section was given a new list of restrictions for future games. In a now deleted tweet, the CummZone outlined the new rules.

The tweet read, “Due to the orders of administration, no fat heads, props, food, or beverages will be allowed in the CummZone. Violators will be prosecuted.”

The home game following the incident, with the new rules in place, had a dismal attendance, despite the CummZone’s efforts at promotion. Whether this was due to the restrictions or to the rainy weather, there is no way to know for sure. One thing that is for sure is that even with the students who did show up on that rainy evening, the student section’s new energy, or lack thereof, couldn’t hold a candle to how it was before. Not to mention, after the September 27 game, the Adams’ student section fell from its number one spot on The D Zone’s rankings to a disappointing number seven ranking as of October 11.

While students are clearly upset at the new rules, especially with the big Homecoming game coming up this Friday, it is hard to argue with the reasoning for the restrictions. The student section, after all, is for school games, so administration took great issue with the the September 27 game. Perhaps the enforcement is a bit extreme, considering a student’s water bottle was confiscated by a deputy at the last game, but it is not uncalled for.

Rather, students should be more upset at the few students who thought it wise to bring and consume alcohol excessively on school property and in plain sight of administration, and at the students whose lude behavior managed to get all props banned from the student stands. It is truly unfortunate that a relatively small number  had to ruin the fun for everyone. Hopefully these consequences will change student’s outlook on how they should behave with respect in the student section, and, after seeing the consequences first-hand, will think twice before doing something so risky at a school event.