A Guide to School Spirit at SUU
Posted: July 02, 2024 | Author: Fae Dutson | Read Time: 3 minutes
At Southern Utah University, the student experience is always a priority. This includes amplifying the pride and energy you feel in being a Thunderbird, also known as school spirit! We hope every student, from the homebody to the regular tailgater, graduates with enough school spirit to last a lifetime. After all, once a T-Bird, always a T-Bird! So whether you’re a freshman preparing for your first tailgate or a senior ready for their last homecoming game, we hope this school spirit guide will help you better understand what it means to be a T-Bird!
Getting Red-y
The official colors of Southern Utah University are red, white and black. However, the primary color used to represent school pride is red, and we all wear it every Friday! All year round, the community shows up for the school by wearing our school colors at the end of the week. Red shirts, shoes, socks, pants and even makeup looks can be seen all over campus! At ThunderU freshman orientation, we give each incoming student a red school shirt to show their pride, so you never have to worry about being a fish out of water without any red to wear.
Game Time
One of the most fun ways to show your school spirit is going to sporting events and filling up the student section! Our most popular events tend to be football games, basketball games and gymnastics meets. Here are some pointers to help you look like an SUU pro when you get there: Learn the fight song Stock up on some red face paint and chalk Practice some chants (a perfect place to start would be the Thundertrain chant that you learn at ThunderU) Go to the tailgate beforehand if there is one!
Traditions
One of the best ways to connect with the students around you and the university itself is to explore, experience and have fun with your friends as you complete all of the timeless SUU traditions. SUU has been around since 1897, and many traditions have been created by the students who came before you. With the Tradition Keeper program, the alumni association rewards you with prizes for being a part of SUU’s history! Starting with a sticker of the Carter Carillon bell tower, you can work your way up to a stole to wear at graduation if you complete all fifty of the traditions. The activities are no hassle, either free or very cheap, and range from taking a selfie with Thor the Thunderbird to visiting a National Park. You won’t regret the memories you’ll make in completing these traditions, and each is sure to amp up your school spirit.
Unforgettable Events
Events at SUU are a huge part of student life. There are a few events to attend every week where you can meet new people, network or grab some free goodies. However, there are a few larger experiences each year that you can always count on for a fun time. These include week-long spirit events like Homecoming Week, which hosts the homecoming game, and the royalty pageant, and Forever Red (which is a giant concert on the upper quad). We also have massive, large-scale party events like The Scream, a Halloween bash that occupies the entire student center, and Mardi Gras! In addition to this, the College of Performing and Visual Arts regularly puts on performances–these are all free to students. Attending school events will be times in your college career that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Without a doubt, these are moments when school spirit is at an all-time high.
At the end of the day, school spirit isn’t measured in how many tailgates you went to or how much red you wore, (though we highly encourage lots of both). Deep down, it’s about how much you love your school, and that you’re happy to be there for the reasons that resonate with you. When you look back on your time at Southern Utah University, you can rest assured knowing that it was spent doing what you wanted to do and that whatever you did, you did it with pride and had fun. That’s what being a T-Bird is all about!
Tags: Tradition and History Thunder U Student Life Homecoming
