When Emory University men’s soccer freshman midfielder Nick Carrano began his season this fall, it quickly became clear to him that “school spirit is lacking at Emory” in regards to sporting event attendance.
“You hear very little talk about athletics in general at Emory,” Carrano said. “I think that it’s really hard to get people to come out unless you’re close with [athletes] or fellow athletes who understand the importance of attending games.”
For years, a common concern among Emory’s student body has been a lack of unity and camaraderie, which some have attributed to the University lacking a football team. Emory’s athletic department has introduced new programming around sporting events in recent years, such as tailgates, but athletes and fans want more.
Alex Moss (25C) is not a varsity athlete but enjoys watching sports and said he wishes there was a unified school spirit surrounding these events.
“The school overall just really kind of lacks [school spirit],” Moss said. “I feel that we sometimes make some attempts … with a volleyball game here or a soccer game there, but in general, there’s no real kind of Emory identity.”
Special Activities Committee Chair of Student Programming Council (SPC) M Egberongbe (26C) said that at first glance, Emory is not known for its school spirit, but organizations like SPC are working to improve an identified lack of united camaraderie on campus. For example, the campus organization partnered with Emory athletics to help sponsor certain tailgates, which have drawn increased crowds.
“I don’t think we have the most spirit, but I don’t think we’re completely lacking spirit either,” Egberongbe said. “I think in the coming years we’re going to see an increase, because I know SPC in particular has been trying to do our part to increase school spirit with athletics.”
Moss said the tailgates are a “good idea,” but he thinks that Emory “needs to do more of them.” He said that more tailgates during the season for respective Emory sports can be a driver in an increased awareness of Emory athletics.
While Carrano said the tailgates can create a “sense of belonging,” he said that many students come to the tailgates for the food and the giveaways and then do not stay for the duration of the game.
“There isn’t as much involvement and engagement, especially with soccer, as I would have wished,” Carrano said.
More generally, Egberongbe said school spirit expands beyond athletics to events that draw strong crowds, like the semesterly SPC concerts, and increase campus camaraderie. Egberongbe encouraged students to take advantage of the campus events currently offered.
“There are always certain people on campus who are doing a lot to try and get people to care more and be more involved in school,” Egberongbe said. “There are a lot of ways to show that you love your school without a football team and without it being athletic. Whenever SPC does events, whenever there’s school events in general, a lot of people show up for the show.”
Emory administrators are also formulating possible next steps for improving school spirit. Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life Enku Gelaye expressed that Emory students may find school spirit outside the traditional sports-focused ways, like First Day Fest, a carnival event hosted on the first day of classes.
“Our students consistently and creatively express pride and spirit, often telling me how proud they are to be Emory students,” Gelaye wrote in an email to the Wheel. “We are working together to find small and large ways to express that pride … I’m convinced that every year we find ways to give voice to the spirit and pride of this amazing generation of Emory students.”
Associate Vice President of Campus Life and Clyde Partin Sr. Director of Athletics Keiko Price said there is a high correlation between athletic awareness on campus and school spirit. Price defined school spirit as activities that create “a sense of belonging” and “an affinity for the institution” among Emory community members.
Price also said she is trying to improve attendance at Emory athletic events. Since arriving at Emory in December 2020, Price has expanded the athletic staff, hiring new talent like Deputy Athletics Director for External Operations Devon Hendricks to improve the marketing of Emory’s varsity athletic events.
Despite the University’s lack of a football team, Price said she believes that there is still room to create “different” experiences in the Emory community, as having a football team does not automatically “equate to” strong school spirit. Emory’s administrators are focused on increasing school spirit so athletic events can make the Emory community “come together.”
“We’ve got a pep band now, the same pep band you’ll see at a football game, but it’s to support our soccer or volleyball … So it’s not football, but it’s still a way to really encourage and promote and to try to create an environment where our community can not only support our athletes but come together,” Price said.
Over the summer, Emory renovated the second floor of the Woodruff Physical Education Center to showcase and honor athletes. Price said that some additions include a touchscreen monitor that will eventually allow users to interact with a database of Emory All-Americans, Academic All-Americans and Hall of Famers. Price said she hopes the renovation will increase recognition for current and past Emory athlete stars while bringing the community together.
The University’s new Dean of Students and Associate Vice President for Belonging, Engagement and Community,Kristina Bethea Odejimi, said she has spoken to many Emory alumni and seen their strong sense of pride in the University.
“[Alumni] have a great affinity and love for Emory University,” Odejimi said. “And to me, that’s a part of the school spirit that we want people to have within them that you would hope to see at these other institutions that are fully invested and maybe have seen the ‘rah-rah’ atmosphere.”
Students can also form connections once they arrive on campus based on their individual interests, according to Odejimi. Odejimi said she is prioritizing efforts to promote students’ connections to the University in her new role.
“Perhaps sports is not their thing: How do we make sure that we are plugging them into other offerings or opportunities where they find their school spirit in those things?” Odejimi said. “What is their level of engagement in those activities? And then, in turn, what is our investment in those particular programs and offerings?”
Odejimi added that it is essential for them that students understand the variety of opportunities Emory offers and how to leverage them.
“We’re trying to just be intentional with making sure that students understand what’s at their fingertips,” Odejimi said. “Sometimes you don’t understand all the resources and you don’t know how to navigate them either, and so if a student is struggling, then we have that responsibility to make sure that we’re making that process a little easier.”
Junior golfer Prayaag Oruganti, the longest tenured executive board member of the Emory Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), said Emory has made “great” progress in promoting athletic events during his three years on SAAC.
“We’ve gotten a lot of new people in the athletic department and administration that are super supportive of us,” Oruganti said.
In particular, Oruganti pointed to the annual freshmen pep rally, which SAAC hosted for the second time this year.
“That’s something that we feel like if we could get the freshmen to get some buy-in when they first get on campus, that's something that can extend over the next four years,” Oruganti said.
Additionally, Oruganti noted a few other updates to Emory athletics and how those can help cultivate an increased sense of pride among the University community. For example, a new graphic designer is improving the aesthetics of the Emory University Athletics Instagram page, which Oruganti said has helped increase awareness around athletic events.
Price said she is continuing to prioritize areas for future growth in school spirit surrounding athletic events.
“One of my goals since my arrival has been to create a space for all of our students … to be able to come and use sport as an avenue for memories, a place to gather, a place to celebrate [and] a place to really just support our student athletes,” Price said.
Managing Editor Jenna Daly, who is a member of the Emory Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, did not edit or contribute to this piece.
