I know that the Towerlight has been all over this Athletic Task Force situation like the Houston Texans were on the Ravens Sunday, but I want to offer a different perspective on the issue. I want to praise those that have worked hard up to this point and offer guidance to help them further their efforts.

Before I begin, I’d like to commend David Nevins and the rest of the Task Force for conducting the forum in a polite and objective fashion. After all, they were there to listen, and listen they did.

OK, now to my not-as-objective take on the forum and the efforts of Towson students to keep the programs alive.

I’ll start with the positives:

These athletes really are passionate about their program and will do anything to see that it does not face the proposed fate. I loved hearing the baseball players speak about the camaraderie that they developed while competing for Towson.

It makes me think back to the days where I played high school soccer (shout out to the Fallston Cougars!) and made friendships that I maintain today. I was touched by the anecdotes told by the players, and I would think that President Loeschke witnessed that same raw emotion.

I also admired the athletes from different sports and genders stepping up to the plate to support their fellow friends and family. They made me believe that the bond athletes share can be best described as family.  If I were President Loeschke, I would have a tough time breaking that up.

However, what made the biggest impression on me were the students at Towson who were not athletes. These students were not obligated to take time out of their day to support soccer and baseball, but they did.

Why? Because they care for the student-athletes.

I believe that there was a lot of good that came out of the forum, but this isn’t the end-all be-all for this issue. Players, coaches, friends, friends-of-friends and others need to keep fighting and make their presence known to President Loeschke.

I loved seeing “#SaveTUbaseball” signs at the Orioles’ ALDS game and on TBS. I loved seeing the giant “Save TU Men’s Soccer” sign at the D.C. United game. Keep the publicity up, any amount can help.

There are some things that I wish I saw in this campaign, though. I want to see more N.A.R.P.’s (Non-Athletic Regular People) involved. Over 20,000 students attend Towson in some fashion, and to my best estimation athletes only make up five to 10 percent.

If I were President Loeschke, I would be taken aback if I saw hundreds of N.A.R.P’s at the forum, taking time out of their schedules to support their fellow students. I saw only a few normal students there, and I was saddened by it. Athletes are not super-human, they are just super-talented and they need our help.

The good news is that there is another forum Monday. I hope that not only the athletes affected by the recommendations attend, but also the students that have nothing to lose and do not want to see the lives of these players changed forever.

The fight is not over, Towson. We still have a chance. I hope to see more student involvement as we creep closer and closer to the decision. If you ever want to see another Towson soccer game, which I do, then you better get involved now.

To the baseball and soccer players, we N.A.R.P.s are with you. We need to show our President that we won’t be the same Towson without you. We need to keep fighting.