Increase the Peace: Similarities outweigh differences; Waterloo, CF rivalry pointless

By Collin Braley 2005

Upon moving to the Cedar Valley in the summer of 1999, I started off eighth grade transferring to Hoover Middle School. I had an outstanding year there, meeting many great people.

In Waterloo, the people quickly tried to teach me that Cedar Falls was a bad town. Since my parents both worked there, and I knew a few people from Cedar Falls, it was hard for me to agreee with their negative opinions.

My ninth grade year, I attended Holmes Junior High, which was another great time for me. Again, I met a lot of awesome people.

In Cedar Falls, the people tried to tell me that Waterloo wasn’t a good town. However, I had a great experience at Hoover the previous year, so it was hard for me to agree with their negative opinions. After experiencing a year of life in Waterloo and more than a year of living in Cedar FAlls, I now notice the absurd negativity that people from each town have for the other.

Waterloo and Cedar Falls are communities that are next to each other. One community has a state university, the other one has a courthouse.

Is that the reason for the rivalry? Does Waterloo want a state university? Does Cedar Falls want a courthouse?

There are many families that live in Cedar Falls yet work in Waterloo. There are many families that live in Waterloo yet work in Cedar Falls.

I had a superb teacher in Waterloo, and now I go to school with her son. At junior high sporting events, she would sit with the Hoover fans one half and with the Cedar Falls fans the other half. There needs to be more open-mindedness between our two towns.

We enjoy the same restaurants, hospitals, churches and workplaces. Therefore, I don’t understand why a Cedar Falls person would think less of a Waterloo person or vice-versa.

Two days from now, under lights of Memorial Stadium’s awesome football field, Cedar Falls and Waterloo West will battle, head to head, and try to outdo the opponent in the big rivalry football game.

Rumors of fights breaking out are milling in the air. Talk about the fight between Cedar Falls and Waterloo West High remain throughout the schools.

In the words of Paul Simon, I will choose the unpopular route and be a bridge over troubled waters, and I will lay me down.

I challenge everyone from both towns to greet people with open minds and to be courteous to one another no matter where they’re from. There’s no reason you can’t spark a conversation with someone before or after the game this weekend, even if they’re from a different town.

Increase the peace.

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