Student seats: The Hive is back

Duke University has the Cameron Crazies. UC Davis has the Aggie Pack. The Cleveland Browns have the Dawg Pound. The Sac State Hornets now have The Hive.

The Hive is a special section of seats brought out for Hornet football games for students to sit in, cheer crazy for their team, and have a good time.

“The Hive gives a special identity for the students,” said Ben Shapiro, a corporate sales representative for Sac State Athletics and the man behind The Hive. “It brings more of a college atmosphere to the games.”

That college atmosphere is something Shapiro believes is lacking on this campus.

“Sac State has never had big student involvement,” he said. “It has always been a commuter school and the word of mouth has always been that Sac State sports suck.”

Shapiro believes The Hive is the first step in changing that mind set and building more school pride.

However, The Hive debuted at the Causeway Classic and has failed to return to any other home games.

Shapiro said that The Hive served its purpose at the game by setting the tone for the rest of the crowd.

“The entire stadium rallied around The Hive,” he said. “And everyone I spoke to that sat in the section had a great time.”

The reason we have not seen The Hive in the past two home games for the Hornets is because of funding.

The athletic department put up the $2,500 needed to have The Hive at the Causeway Classic, but does not have any room in its budget to do it again.

Shapiro went to eight different campus clubs for financial help. He asked them to submit a Dollars for Organizations and Clubs grant application to Associated Students, Inc. in order to raise the $4,500 needed for the return of The Hive in the final two home games .

Each club on campus can apply for a DOC grant and receive up to $1,500. In contacting so many clubs, Shapiro was confident that he would reach his financial goal.

His confidence was also boosted knowing he had the support of ASI-the group that decides who gets the money.

ASI members Jason Bryan and Lane Kasselman had written letters to Athletic Director Debby Colberg expressing their support for The Hive.

When the decision was made Monday, Shapiro had won. He was a few dollars richer and ready to start spending.

The Hive will be ready for the next home football game on Oct. 23 against Northern Arizona.

Now that he knows that it will be there for the rest of the season, Shapiro is working on improving the student section to fulfill his vision.

He has spoken with Colberg about fixing the few drawbacks of The Hive.

“A problem with The Hive at the Causeway Classic was that it was the worst seat in the house,” Shapiro said. “I want to move The Hive onto the field.”

The other problem with The Hive is one that Shapiro does not mind dealing with-the section can only hold 500 fans and students may be turned away after the section is full.

“The more demand we have and the more we have to turn students away,” Shapiro said, “the more we will show the athletic department and the school how much the students are into it.”

A bigger demand and a bigger section is Shapiro’s goal for The Hive.

“Hopefully in a few years, we can expand and close that entire half of the stadium off,” he said. “With that half closed off and the Hornet on the other side, it will look like a real stadium. That is eventually what I want it to be.”

To receive a free pass into The Hive, see Ben Shapiro in room 153 of Yosemite Hall between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday or Wednesday. For any questions, call 278-7306.