By Megan Davis |Staff Writer|
What do USC and UCLA have in common besides residing in California and astronomical tuition fees?
Two words: school pride.
You can see students of these universities practically bleeding the colors of their institutions and showing up by the thousands to their school functions, specifically anything that involves a field or a court.
So why is it that compared to these schools, our own CSUSB is seems to fall so short in school spirit?
Some may say it is because we do not top the lists of best party schools or because we lack a notorious sports team or, possibly, because we are a commuter school and not too many people stick around campus after class.
Those statements would be true, but here’s some news for you fellow Coyotes.
This school has the academic potential and the resources that should make students not only excited to come here, but proud as well.
Recently, U.S. News ranked us nationally in the list of top public schools, weighing us in at a respectable number 17.
For this reason alone, students are in dire need of some amped up, rejuvenated school pride.
So what is the key to gaining school pride? The answer is simple: get involved!
There are countless clubs and organizations here on campus that serve a variety of different interests. These range from academic clubs to athletic clubs to religious clubs to sororities and fraternities and school teams.
“Really the possibilities are endless. After going here for a year I have found there is always an event going on, and there is really something for everybody,” said Veronica Daniel, a peer health educator for the Student Health Center.
Being involved with our school is what will enable you to connect more with fellow students and create that unforgettable college experience everyone strives to have.
“As soon as I came to CSUSB I wanted to feel a connection to everyone. I wanted to get involved so I could not only succeed but also be a part of something greater,” said student Nahal Hosseini, a new-found sister of the Kappa Delta sorority on campus.
Our school even hosts a National Exchange program, which hosts 20 to 30 students at a time from all across the nation.
“The people here have been so nice and the professors have been great. I’m so happy with my decision to come here,” said student Katrina Mahaney of Worcester State University in Massachusetts.
Even if you choose not to get involved in a specific organization yourself, there are still many events put on by the students that you could attend.
There are games you could go to with a group of friends (like our fantastic volleyball team) and a state of the art recreational center complete with hip-hop classes and a rock wall.
The truth of the matter is our school can only be as good as the student body chooses to make it.
So no, we do not live on the beach and no, we don’t have a football team that is televised every Saturday.
But we do have a student body that is capable of banding together to say we come from San Bernardino.
This is our home and we should be proud to rep a little black and blue.