Author Frances Brown poses with Syracuse University mascot Otto the Orange. Courtesy photo
Before coming to Syracuse University, I never really understood the fuss over school spirit. For lack of a better word, my high school spirit days were boring. However, since I became a student at SU, I have felt a sense of belonging, excitement, and opportunity; I have felt school spirit.
I feel this spirit at sports games, or when studying in a packed library. I feel it when I drive down the I-81 interstate and see the top of University Hill peaking over the distance, or when I am reminiscing over my Syracuse adventures back home in New Jersey. No matter where I am, I carry the spirit of SU with me.
TOUCHDOWN!
Game days at SU are like no other. Floods of people in orange and navy blue fill the loud house, also known as the JMA Wireless Dome. I have cheered on SU when we scored a touchdown or nailed a three-pointer. I have chanted at the SU Soccer Stadium and rooted for our lacrosse team. I have rallied for our women’s volleyball team and applauded for the cheer and dance team.
When rooting for SU’s sports teams, there’s a surge of unity that sweeps through the fans, as if we’re all connected by the same pulse. The cheers, the chants, and the sea of school colors make the games feel like we’re part of something bigger—an unstoppable force. It’s not just about the game; it’s about representing a shared pride that goes beyond the scoreboard.
Frances Brown: ‘School spirit is more than just enthusiasm for games or events; it’s the sense of pride, unity, and shared identity that connects everyone in the SU community.’ Courtesy photo
Even in defeat, there’s a joy in knowing that we all stood together, voices hoarse, and spirits high. Whether you are rooting for the Syracuse Orange in the dome or the soccer stadium, SU spirit makes all hearts beat as one.
NOT JUST A SPORTS SCHOOL
Campus pride is not only cultivated through sports on campus. I have attended acapella and dance performances where friends and family roar in the crowds. There are film screenings and musical theater performances where standing ovations are given.
School spirit goes beyond the bleachers of the Dome, to traditions on campus. We sled down the big hill in front of Crouse Hall after the first snow of the year, or cover the quad when Syracuse experiences its first sunny day of the spring.
SU spirit is the energy in Bird Library during midterm season when every desk in the library is occupied, and the quiet pride you feel when you spot somebody wearing SU merchandise. SU spirit is the unspoken bond that connects everyone, reminding you that you’re part of a shared experience that will last far beyond graduation.
WHITMAN’S IMPRESS PROGRAM
As a Whitman student, I feel even more lucky to have a smaller community in the business school. Within Whitman, school spirit feels like a shared drive for success and innovation. It’s the energy buzzing within group projects, and the encouraging environment when we present our projects. It is the camaraderie formed in late-night study sessions in Whitman team rooms, where students collaborate at one big table. There’s a collective ambition that binds us.
At Whitman, the Goodman IMPRESS Program motivates a healthy competitive energy, where teamwork is encouraged. The program places all incoming students in one of four “houses.” Within these houses, students develop their extracurricular and soft skills. Through a point system, each year, a house cup is won by the house that was the most involved in IMPRESS Program events.
Fun fact, Adams House, my house, won my freshman year. At Whitman, we’re all pushing each other to succeed, and that sense of belonging makes the college journey feel even more rewarding.
Frances’ house, Adams House, won Whitman’s IMPRESS Program’s house cup her freshman year. Courtesy photo
BLEED ORANGE
School spirit is more than just enthusiasm for games or events; it’s the sense of pride, unity, and shared identity that connects everyone in the SU community.
Whether it’s through the Whitman IMPRESS Program, sports events, or everyday interactions, school spirit is the heartbeat that keeps SU thriving. It shows up in the loudest cheers at the Dome, and the quietest moments at the library. It’s the immediate happiness I feel when I see people out on the quad on a warm sunny day or cheering for my friends at their acapella performances. What I’ve learned is SU spirit is all around me wherever I go, and I hope prospective students get to feel it as well.
Author Frances Brown is an undergraduate student at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, studying Marketing Management and Television, Radio, and Film, on the entertainment business track. Frances is involved with Pulp Marketing club, and Hill Communications, SU’s student run public relations firm. She is grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate her love for SU spirit by writing about her experiences on campus.
About the Martin J. Whitman School of Management: The Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University inspires students for a world of accelerating change. Offering B.S., MBA, M.S., and Ph.D. programs, all accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Whitman School’s faculty includes internationally known scholars and researchers, as well as successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Whitman continues to be ranked among the nation’s top business schools by U.S. News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek. To learn more about the Whitman School of Management, visit Whitman.syracuse.edu.
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