Football appears fashionable again in student ranks

The student section at football games for the past few years also appears to be a fashionable place to be. For some, it's a social occasion requiring sport coats and cocktail dresses. For others, it's a casual event. And to a vocal minority, it's an opportunity to cut loose; they wear commodore costumes, body paint and wigs. And we're not just talking guys here. Last season, at least one coed painted a letter on her torso and stood in line with likeminded male classmates to spell VANDY. The men appeared unabashedly topless; the lone female stood proudly with her shirt rolled up to reveal her stomach and the body paint. Shakers and pompons abound. Prompted by the band, the students chant the battle cries of modern sports, and shout out appropriately through 15-second snippets of "Dynamite" -- the school fight song -- following Commodore first downs. Interceptions and touchdowns warrant longer renditions.

-- Skip Anderson