What’s a Blugold? Who are you really when you leave this campus?

I’m going to say something pretty bold and it’s that UW-Eau Claire has a lack of school spirit. Sure, some students take sporting events and extra activities to heart, such as going to The Cabin for a free show or supporting the theatre students in their upcoming play, but have you noticed the severe lack of community this campus has been suffering from?

I remember being told the Eau Claire campus is the most friendly campus you will step foot on. Everyone will smile at you and quick greetings will be bountiful from people you hardly know. And this is all very true, to a point.

I can’t count the number of times someone has held open a door for me and vice versa, or how many past professors I have had remember who I am. This campus doesn’t have a shortage of nice people.

But let’s take a step back to the original questions. What is a Blugold? We hardly even know what our mascot really is. We have all come to a consensus that a Blugold is a bird of some sort, but it’s not even a real thing, and that’s sometimes a huge bummer.

I’m a big fan of the new mascot costumes, because now we really do have some sort of school representation. I think if we keep going in that direction we may be able to increase school spirit.

Don’t get me wrong; this campus is a fantastic place to be. I have never felt unwelcome and there are many times I have felt very accomplished going to a great university.

Honestly, maybe me not feeling like a true Blugold is my fault — maybe I just didn’t try hard enough. When I look in my closet  I see sweatshirts from NYU, Madison and Minnesota.  There are plenty of students out there who feel very connected to this campus, and that’s amazing. I envy them.

And yes, I know that it isn’t a fair comparison in reference to size of the student population, but look at schools like UW- Madison. Its school spirit is huge. Or even schools outside of Wisconsin like the University of Florida or Ohio State.

My brother went to Madison and I have many friends who go there now, and it’s almost out of the norm to be seeing many students wearing another schools colors or emblem, but here in Eau Claire, you can’t take two steps without seeing someone wearing a sweatshirt from another college. Not that supporting another school is wrong, but it’s just an observation.

In hindsight, it has taken me awhile to realize just how much I actually miss not being more a part of this campus. I have been in many organizations on campus but there has always felt like a lack of connectivity to the spirit of being a Blugold.

I’m really going to miss this place when I graduate and that says something. Maybe it’s time to rally my friends and go to more things that increase school pride. We have all worked hard to be here, we might as well cheer each other on.