In the hopes of watching what some students are calling “the biggest and most memorable sporting event [UNC Wilmington has] seen,” UNCW students have petitioned the university to cancel classes on Thursday in order to allow them to watch the game against Duke University in the NCAA tournament.

The petition, which was started on Change.org by UNCW spirit group the Screamin’ Seahawks, states that this is UNCW’s first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2006, and since the university will be hosting a viewing party of the game against Duke on Thursday at 12:15 in Trask Coliseum, UNCW students who have class at that time should be afforded the opportunity to watch the basketball game.

Currently, 3,614 supporters have signed the petition to cancel classes, however, in response to this petition, Chancellor Sartarelli sent out an email explaining how cancelling classes could be detrimental.

“You have likely heard about the possibility of canceling classes on Thursday,” said the chancellor in the mass email to students. “I wanted to share with you all first that the decision has been made not to cancel classes, based on the significant disruption it would cause (with nearly half the student body missing over 300 classes), and in keeping with the academic mission of the institution.”

Nevertheless, the chancellor’s statement did not dismay some students. UNCW senior Kevin Husselbee personally emailed the chancellor over the matter of cancelling classes on Thursday.

In the email, Husselbee wrote “many universities never get the opportunity to witness their team make it to the ‘big dance,’ so seeing UNCW compete at [the NCAA] level is a true milestone. Unfortunately, a good portion of the student body will be deprived of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Husselbee urged the chancellor in the email to allow students to miss class to watch the “most memorable sporting event” for UNCW and even went as far as saying that “while the cancellation of classes during this game would delay the progression of the semester… I believe this minuscule delay could greatly benefit the university in the long run.”

“[Watching the game] will be something we can all reflect on and recall in later years,” said Husselbee in the email. “That we were THERE in 2016 when the Seahawks made it to the NCAA tournament.”

In an interview with The Seahawk, Husselbee explained that as soon as he heard that UNCW was going to the NCAA tournament he wondered if the school would cancel classes, but he did not know that it was a real possibility until he received the email from the school saying classes were not cancelled.

For the past few days it sounded to Husselbee as though this petition was the popular consensus among students, which, with the fact that the university sent out an email in hopes to stop the petition, prompted him to type up an email to the chancellor.

“I decided to email the chancellor because I truly believe that seeing your university’s basketball team play in the NCAA tournament is an experience that no student should be deprived of,” said Husselbee.

And along with UNCW having the right to watch their basketball team play in a tournament that they have not been a part of in ten years, Husselbee believes this game could improve the university in a few ways as well.

“For the past four years I have been at UNCW I have seen a huge push for school spirit, but when an event as big as an NCAA tournament bid comes, the university won’t act on it,” said Husselbee. “UNCW already made a step in the right direction by organizing a watch party in Trask Coliseum but the game is in the middle of the day when the majority of students are in class. If they want a good turnout they should seriously consider canceling classes.”

Canceling classes to watch an event like this would definitely encourage future school spirit and involvement, explained Husselbee. He finds that it is moments like these where students look back on their college careers and take pride in their school. 

Husselbee also thinks this game is a “golden opportunity” for the university to boost school spirit and ultimately generate future donations to the school and athletic department.

However, no matter how many students sign the petition or email the chancellor, the decision is still up to the university.