School Spirit

Reading Time: 2 minutes Indecisiveness will not bring us together as a student body.

Reading Time: 2 minutes
At 19 or 20 you wear your heart on your sleeve. You do what you want now that you don’t live at home. You are becoming the person you want to be. You just don’t seem to want to be here.

The state of Utah has many options to obtain a higher education. Utah Valley University seems to be just a stepping stone towards the intended location still. School pride and dedication is alive and well on the Cougar and Ute campus. The Wolverines need some help.

We live in a region dominated by the red vs. blue. It’s time the green became part of the conversation. That won’t happen until our fellow Wolverines take pride in representing themselves on campus and in the community. School spirit is not something you learn, its something you grow within and amongst friends. Wearing that new beanie or scarf isn’t just an effort to keep warm, its a statement about who you cheer for and who you root against.

Students are learning, there is no question, but are they committing? To marriage, yes, frequently and fervently. Dedication to heritage may involve some kilt wearing. Dedication to a spouse might require a wedding ring. Dedication to an institution of higher learning should demand something.

Small schools and big schools are all represented as some sort of intra-collegiate mishmash on campus. Hoodies and T-shirts sweep by with ease and go unquestioned as if they belong in this foreign sea. Days gone by would have required and explanation for sporting a rival’s colors.

Utah Valley University is growing, as my mother would say, “Like a weed.” More like a desert sage. Tough and resistant to the harsh conditions, she will bloom in full splendor, heaving a delightful aroma all around her. Be proud of where you are, and even if you are looking forward to less green pastures, the present is more than worthy of your support.

Wolverine Wednesday is nice opportunity to show off some wolverine apparel, but it shouldn’t just be so you can save a buck on J-Dawgs. This school is worth more than that. Our university is building a name for itself, and not just in Utah Valley. The Green Man Group is a recognizable student organization that plays at Utah Jazz games and the Western Athletic Conference has included us in the company of some respected schools.

There are definitely occasions for repping your team when they win the title. No need to hide your enthusiasm for the Jazz vs. Jimmer game. Throwback jerseys are a style these days so feel free to keep with the trends, there’s just no need to pull that SUU intramural shirt over your head in the morning. Be better than your past, even if your future isn’t here, embrace it, because here is just right for most of us.