Chapman Lacks School SPIRIT

There is one thing everyone knows we lack at Chapman – school spirit. Chapman is such an amazing school all around, but there is no school spirit. There is definitely pride in this school, but there are no screaming students cheering at every home - there is not a huge student section that gets the crowd pumped up. It is not the “big thing” like at USC to go to an athletics event. And I know that we do not go to a big DI school and have the record, but I think the underlying reason why Chapman lacks school spirit is that we do not have any big rival schools. There is not one school that everyone gets pumped about when we play them in any sport. This issue affects everyone in the school. If Chapman is a part of the SCIAC, there will more competition, there will be more rivalry, and there will be more school spirit.

It is disappointing to play a college sport and have on average of 30-40 people in the stands cheering. Last year there was an attempt to create some school spirit – the Panther Prowl. This new spirit group organized by Associated Students and First Year Council encourages students to get excited at games. It worked for the Homecoming Game, however, it slowly lost its strength and by the end of the season, it went back to normal Chapman athletics games – without a student cheering section. At this years Homecoming Game, I heard more parents yelling and getting excited than the students. For more information on the Panther Prowl check out http://www.thepantheronline.com/article.php?id=762

Chapman University + SCIAC = school spirit!!!