If people walk past The Zone on Wednesdays, they are sure to see hordes of green-garbed students standing in line. These multitudes of hungry students are waiting for free pizza as part of Wolverine Wednesday, a weekly recurring school spirit event.
What is school spirit? According to The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), “‘School spirit’ involves a student’s pride in his or her school, a student’s propensity to get other students to be active in school events, and a student’s plans to return to his or her school for special events after graduation.”
Interestingly, this school pride can benefit students in more than one way. According to a survey carried out by the NFHS, “high school students with ‘school spirit’ perform better academically, are more engaged in social and civic matters, and are happier in general than their less-spirited peers.”
Since UVU has provided its students with Wolverine Wednesday, a day dedicated to showing school pride, its students can experience many of these benefits for themselves.
Henry Freeman, an event manager at The Zone (located just north of the food court in the Sorenson Student Center) explained what Wolverine Wednesday is like at The Zone. “Wolverine Wednesday is just a fun way to have some extra inclusion and involvement on campus every Wednesday,” he explained. “We … promote school spirit and encourage people to wear green in order to have some free pizza.”
When asked about whether or not students not wearing green could receive pizza, P.J. Graham, another event manager at the Zone, responded that, “[Although] we want people to wear green to show some school spirit, if you don’t have green, we aren’t going to give you a hard time.” Unless you’re wearing BYU gear, Freeman jokingly retorted.
Where does the money for all of the pizza come from? Freeman responded that Wolverine Wednesdays are funded by a portion of student fees. “When you are paying your fees, they [may] … be annoying, but they help us do fun things like this on campus,” he said.
In addition to free pizza, Wolverine Wednesdays also provide deals and discounts at sites like the UVU Campus Store, Scoops, and participating restaurants. If students are wearing UVU apparel on Wednesday, they are eligible for special discounts and promotions which include: Selective 20% off deals at the Campus Store, free popcorn at Scoops (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.), free drinks (following meal purchases) at Taco Bell, Costa Vida, Mom Fulton’s Cafe, and Trades Cafe, with discounted prices available at Jamba Juice and Guru’s Cafe.
During Wolverine Wednesdys, recreational activities are also discounted for students wearing UVU apparel. Bowling in the Student Life and Wellness Center only costs $1, and each student becomes eligible for one free fitness course that day.
Wolverine Wednesdays are unique weekly opportunities for students to come together, eat free pizza, utilize discounts and promotions, and develop strong school spirit. Since UVU is the largest university in Utah, there is much to celebrate, and much to be proud of. Students should try wearing UVU apparel and participating in Wolverine Wednesdays so they can take advantage of the benefits of school spirit.
