Early Saturday morning, while all the good Domers were asleep, a menace was let loose upon the Notre Dame community.

This menace did not come in the form of marauding Kansas fans defacing the Basilica, packs of undergraduates setting their lofts ablaze or even hordes of drivers trying to gain access to our pedestrian campus. No, this was something far more insidious.

It was a flock of zealous Irish fans — Siegfried freshmen and a few of their upperclass leaders — running around campus chanting and yelling in support of their University, their dorm and their football team. These hooligans rose at 5:30 a.m. to celebrate the beginning of football season, running from dorm to dorm to serenade the slumbering students within.

Cheers of "Wake up P-Dub," "Siegfried Ramblers" and "We are ND" filled the air as the group moved through campus, leaving woken sleepers in their wake. Most of those roused by the pack grumbled and cursed before rolling over and falling back to sleep. One of the more vigilant among them, however, called Campus Security to their rescue.

And to the rescue Campus Security came.

Reportedly citing a noise statute that prohibits such vocal demonstration before 7 a.m., Notre Dame Security/Police moved in on the crowd as it was outside Lyons Hall. As the students headed to Pangborn, officers, including a patrol car, cut them off and ordered them to disperse and return home.

The forces that make our fair campus so peaceful were successful once again. Another menace to our tranquil home was extinguished, and the Ramblers rambled back to Siegfried quietly, their spirits quashed.

Seriously though, while the vigilance of our Security personnel is reassuring, one must question the necessity of their actions.

These students threatened nothing but the sleep of a few people. They were not drunk. They were not violent. They were not even saying "sucks."

They were simply demonstrating devotion for their University and enthusiasm for the afternoon's football game. The fact that they chose to do this by singing the fight song outside early in the morning of their first-ever Notre Dame football game should not be something to hide, but rather a source of pride.

This sort of behavior is not uncommon on this campus. In fact, it makes Notre Dame unique. They don't get up that early at Florida State.

Unfortunately, the sort of behavior demonstrated by those in authority Saturday morning also is not uncommon on this campus. Whether it is by Campus Security, the Office of Residence Life, or the ushers at athletic events, safe, positive demonstrations of enthusiasm too often are squelched on this campus.

Spirited freshmen, enthusiastically demonstrating that spirit in a positive manner, are not a threat. They are just acting like the college students they are. As a university, we should be glad to have them, and if a few people lose a little sleep, so be it. This isn't a retirement community.

• While you were sleeping