In the past two years, perhaps the only thing more dismal than the performance of GW men’s basketball has been the performance of their supposed fan section, the Colonial Army. Nonetheless, it seems this year the once prominent student organization has been given new life. With new leadership, reserved seating and support from administrators, it is now time for the Colonial Army to prove that GW can successfully maintain a fan base for its athletes.

Spring of last academic year was a low point for the fledging student organization. The group had collected student fees, but never delivered on a number of promises, from T-shirts and cookouts to a point system for tracking the most die-hard of fans. The leadership, in the words of Co-President Victor Danau, “let the group down.”

But like the first step of any recovery program, they have acknowledged the failures of the past two years and planned to make amends. The new leadership has launched an already impressive media campaign to revitalize the group and attract new soldiers. Additionally, they have made the positive step of securing a number of benefits along with 300 reserved Smith Center seats for their ranks.

Despite the good beginning, it’s important to remember that in years past promises were made and not kept. Student leadership is prone to constant ebb and flow, and hopefully this year will be one of noticeably stronger direction. At this point, it may not be possible for the Colonial Army to survive after another year of being AWOL.

Whether our team also steps up to the challenge should be furthest from the minds of Colonial Army’s leadership. True fans come to games no matter the likely outcome, and this student organization should be seeking to build a dedicated fan base.

Though the Colonial Army has spent the past years in retreat, this season provides an opportunity to start anew. The start has been good. Now let’s see the follow through.

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