For Cornell College in Mount Vernon Iowa, football is one of the most exciting events on the weekend in the fall. Although the stands can only be filled with hundreds rather than thousands, our small town school community still goes out and supports our wonderful Rams! As someone who was a cheerleader all throughout high school and the beginning of college, football will forever be one of my favorite past times.

The beginning of the season is always the best because not only does it mean the first games but it also means that everyone is back to campus. You can look forward to the weekends because you know there is probably a game—away or at home. Everyone begins to talk about the big game against our rival school and then how close homecoming is.

For a small school, we treat our homecoming as not only the biggest game of the year but a reason for our family, friends, and alumni to join us. Our football team prepares for the field as everyone else prepares for the events that are happening before and after the game—which we always will hope is a big win.

As the season begins, the families and fans that go to all of the games cheer in the crowd for the team. With a win or lose, all of us are just as proud as we were before the game began no matter what the outcome may have been.

Even though there aren't thousands of people in our stands or millions of people watching our team on television, we adore them just as much as any big school adores their own.

So to our football players here at Cornell, we appreciate you and are always here to cheer you on! Our families and friends look forward to your games this fall—the best way to bring in a new academic year!