Campus spirit is the driving force behind what makes college some of the best years of our lives. This intangible quality adds an enlivening dimension to the educational process and enriches our collective experience.

But, at Fresno State, this shared experience is virtually nonexistent.

Our campus spirit is too heavily entwined in athletics. Other than football games, students’ show of campus support is rarely on display. Football games have long been the hotbed for displays of school spirit. It’s the fervor of the Bulldog football team that takes over campus culture; it is the defining element in most Fresno State students’ campus experience. But there’s more to school spirit than rooting for our heroes on the gridiron.

Some cite general apathy as the direct cause of the lack of a unified school spirit. Yet, that may not be the case. Given the recent activism on campus, along with the record-breaking Associated Students, Inc. voter turnout, apathy may indeed not be the cause.

More likely, the lack of an apparent university tradition has contributed to the lack of a common experience. Compared to other universities around the country, which have traditions ranging from rivalries to mile-long underwear runs, Fresno State’s lack of tradition stands as the barrier to a common experience that students can pass on to the next generations.

Some college students love their university to death””literally. Texas A&M University markets a section of its university-related cemetery for graduates.
So how do we overcome some of these disadvantages?

There are things that authority figures could do to help. Too many on this campus wear T-shirts and sweatshirts from other schools. The new ASI policy of trading in other university shirts for Fresno State shirts should lead to an uptick in Fresno State students proudly sporting Bulldog gear. (See page four).

But there’s only so much they can do. The answer lies with us. As students, we don’t take advantage of our collective potential. It’s about having pride. People say we’re apathetic? Our recent protests prove otherwise. We don’t have tradition? Well, let’s make a tradition””all rituals had to start somewhere.

It’s time we have a renewed, reinvigorated school spirit that will make the college experience everything it can, and should, be.