Recently we attended the UNH-Dartmouth football game which, for most of the first half, was competitive but, as sometimes happens on the gridiron, turned into a rout won by UN H 52-19.

But that is not the point.

We arrived at the game about 90 minutes early for a chance to soak up a bit of pregame atmosphere, mingle with other fans of either team, watch the teams warm up and do whatever else one can do prior to kickoff.

But we couldn’t.

We and other fans were driven away and, many of us went for a walk to the UNH Dairy Bar across the road by the terrible decible level of the music cranked into the stadium by whoever it was chosen by UNH to be in charge of said music. It was so loud that it was impossible to talk without yelling and impossible to hear anything more than a foot away.

Why?

We understand the desire to play music as pregame entertainment and, while we don’t pretend to like the music chosen (although UNH students probably do), we wouldn’t care if it were Callas singing “Norma” because whatever it was, at that decible level, it was not remotely enjoyable.

We enjoy UNH football and would like to attend more games but knowing that the music level will probably remain the same, it’s unlikely that we will.

What about you?

Now understand that this isn’t relegated to UNH. It happens at Fenway Park, it happens at Fisher Cats games, it happens even at high school football games.

Why?

The only answer we can think of us because the technology exists to blast ear-shattering decibels, so why not use it?

Because it’s off-putting. And it’s unfriendly.

Yet people continue to pay good money to go to games and nothing will change unless the money dries up.

So, then, nothing will change because we want to see the games so we will suffer.

But let’s not suffer in silence. Let us, at much lower decibel levels, tell UNH officials to …

TURN IT DOWN!