Picking and choosing among UNC’s many traditions is what makes each individual Carolina experience unique.
Whether it’s drinking from the Old Well on the first day of classes, streaking through the library the night before finals or picking up a copy of the DTH (wink, wink) before some soul food, every Tar Heel has the opportunity to make his or her college experience memorable.
To get more students pumped about UNC’s football game versus East Carolina University Saturday afternoon, students and school officials tried to start a new tradition.
The Carolina Athletic Association collaborated with the Interfraternity Council and head football coach Larry Fedora to host the school’s first pep rally since 2004 Friday night.
The organizers said they hope that the peppiness is here to stay (or linger for a long time).
“We are thrilled that (the CAA and IFC) are doing it,” Rick Steinbacher, senior associate athletic director for external communications, said.
”Coach Fedora spent a lot of time this summer organizing, spent a lot of time with fraternities and sororities and had dinner with 15-20 houses on campus. He really encouraged all of the fraternities and sororities to get involved,” he said.
“Hopefully, it becomes a tradition and excites people about the game.”
Remember your high school pep rallies? Let the memories flood your mind. You are sitting in a crowded, humid gym. There is some random guy with a very bland name (let’s say it’s Bob) screaming at you through a static megaphone, imploring you to come to a game that you thought you were going to attend, but thanks to Bob’s discouraging speech, have instead decided that doing anything else in the world would be a better application of your time.
Thankfully, in my opinion Greek-run pep rallies are slightly better, and there was no “Bob” present.
It was 7:30 in the evening. I arrived at Fraternity Court and was fairly excited. The fraternities and sororities on campus were going to get together to hold a party … what could go wrong?
Immediately, I took note that the event had all of the ingredients for success. There was a free DJ, free space, free drinks, free admissions for students, free shirts, free entertainment (courtesy of UNC cheerleaders and Rocky the Ram), speeches from UNC football stars, and a scheduled appearance from Larry Fedora. It was poised to attract a swarm of college students.
Yet organizers were unsure of how many ralliers would make an appearance.
Senior Matthew Oakes, who holds a representative position with the IFC and works as VP of communications for Sigma Phi Epsilon, was hopeful that the venue, which had a capacity of 1,200 people, would be packed.
Sadly, it wasn’t. No more than 200 people showed up.
Now, this isn’t a bad start. As surprising as it may sound, one must keep in mind that there has not been a University football pep rally since 2004.
Oakes said the main reason he got involved with the event was to kick start a tradition of enhanced football enthusiasm on campus.
“It was one of the motivating factors for getting it going,” Oakes said.
“I have just been surprised it never happened before.”
The disappointing turnout should not be deterrent to future pep rallies. We won the game, didn’t we? It might be a good luck charm? Plus, some people, mainly true (and somewhat bored) Tar Heel sports fans, heard Coach Fedora’s message of bringing spirit, fight and “loud girls” to the game 30 minutes before it began.
That counts for something.
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