I think the world would be a lot happier if we all acted a little bit more like dogs.

I don’t mean I think we should bark a lot and slobber more, but rather that we observe their strong sense of loyalty and learn from it.

My family used to have a Brittany spaniel, and I think he would have been happy to see us come home regardless of whether I had been out saving the world or out stealing candy from children.

The whole “man’s best friend” saying is not far from the truth. Loyalty is an admirable trait, and I think we all could use a little bit more of it in our daily lives.

I’m sure if you all thought hard, you could come up with a certain group of people who could really use some loyal fans right about now. Need some hints? They’re big, dressed in red and gold, and they used to spell relief T-R-O-Y D-A-V-I-S. That’s right, our very own Cyclone football team.

I’m not going to pretend that we’ve been having a great season. I’m not going to boast about our team to other schools in the Big XII, or to anyone else for that matter. However, while I don’t plan on talking them up to be something they’re not, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to support them for what they are: our team.

Perhaps I have a soft spot for teams who aren’t doing too well because when I was in high school, I always seemed to be a member of teams that were really not good. All right, we were bad. If I were completely honest, I might even go as far as REALLY BAD in some sports.

My junior year of basketball, we ended up 0-18 for the season. After that twelfth game or so, you kind of start to accept the fact that you may not be at the top of the conference. Our parents would religiously come to our games, along with a few other fans, but we desperately needed some dog-like loyalty. Our team quickly became a funny joke to get teased about during class. Low fan support didn’t help our already hopeless season.

Let’s not let the same situation happen with our football squad. If we support them when they’re winning, we should support them when they’re not. So far this year, the crowds for the games have been great! It seems like the stadium is filled up with people and the parking lot with tailgaters.

But the hardest part of the season is now upon us. The part where we all begin to realize, “Hey! we just might not win any games here!” But, we should always believe, blindly perhaps, that our time will come and we will win again. (Keep the dog thought in your head — bark once or twice if it helps you.)

Loyalty soon becomes a question of school spirit. Nothing is more fun to witness than a sprinkle of a “be true to your school” attitude. The women’s cross country team traveled to Minnesota this weekend. To show they have a healthy sense of Cyclone spirit, a few of them stepped up to the line with their hair dyed in red and gold stripes.

The rally do’s were an impromptu surprise for their coach, who is typically not quite as demonstrative with his school spirit. Wearing an ISU t-shirt, polo or rain poncho is usually where he draws the line.

In a couple of weeks it will be Homecoming. If you aren’t involved in the greek system or athletic teams, sometimes this fall tradition can slip by students pretty easily. Take it upon yourself to get involved in the Homecoming excitement and to be a loyal Cyclone fan.

I realize that not everyone is into sports, but don’t worry you will still have your chance this year to be a loyal Cyclone. Simply support those activities that you do enjoy — whether it’s the choir, the band or the theater department.

But you can still remain loyal to our teams even if you don’t attend their games or meets. If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all — does that sound familiar? You can be loyal simply by not being disloyal.

Act a little more like Spot, and the whole campus could be a little bit happier. (Just be sure to keep the slobber in check.)

Joanne Roepke is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Aurora.