<p>I have seen the “no school spirit” complaint made about a couple of schools in which my son is interested. Whether he takes it seriously, however, depends on what the comment means. </p>
<pre><code>When students criticize a college for lacking “school spirit,” do they mean that the college does not have big-time sports teams (which tend to generate school loyalty and enthusiasm)? Or do they mean that the students there don’t seem to care about the college and are not happy to be there?
If it’s the former – it doesn’t matter. He knows the schools aren’t DI and that athletics are not a focal point of campus life. If it’s the latter – that’s concerning.
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<p>I wouldn’t say that a “lack of school spirit” means that the kids don’t want to be at the school.</p>
<p>I think it means that the students are just going through the process to get their education. They go to class, they go home or to their dorm, and that’s it. They may like their teachers, but it’s just “school”…nothing more.</p>
<p>My nephew will be leaving Tufts because while he has good profs and he likes his roommate, he misses the warmth and school loyalty that his brother enjoys at Vandy.</p>
<pre><code>It’s interesting that Vandy, the school your nephew prefers to Tufts for its “warmth and school loyalty,” has D-I athletics. It may not be the athletic events, per se, that attract students to schools like Vandy and USC, but rather the sense of community and school loyalty that competitive athletics engender within the school. I’m not a big sports fan myself, but I can see how the enthusiasm generated by D-I athletics could be contagious and could really shape the character of the school.
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<p>I would tend to disagree with this characterization. I finished my BS at a University where there was very little school spirit at that time. In fact, it is now recognized that the alumni from a certain time period have very little to do with the school post-graduation due to the utter lack of emotional involvement with the school at the time we were students there. The student union had been shut down, and the sports teams were unknowns. There was nothing to get excited about or enthusiastic about that would pull people together.</p>
<p>But you are making it sound as if we didn’t have a life outside the books, which is hardly the case, lol. It’s just that our life didn’t revolve around university activities. Steverino is right that those activities often involve sports. An exciting sports season is something every student can embrace, even if they are not football fans, or basketball fans, etc. But school spirit can also be generated in other ways, and we have seen that on several campuses. </p>
<p>One of the things we were told to look for during campus visits is how many students and others are wearing school gear - tshirts, hats, hoodies, etc. with school colors and/or logos. To this day I have no clothing from my alma mater, and I had none when I attended there.</p>
<p>OP - to your question, it didn’t mean that I wasn’t happy to be there, just that I didn’t feel much of a sense of “rah rah” for the place, and no nostalgia for it after I was done.</p>
<p>*But you are making it sound as if we didn’t have a life outside the books, which is hardly the case, lol. It’s just that our life didn’t revolve around university activities. *</p>
<p>Uh…that WAS my point.</p>
<p>It’s interesting that Vandy, the school your nephew prefers to Tufts for its “warmth and school loyalty,” has D-I athletics. It may not be the athletic events, per se, that attract students to schools like Vandy and USC, but rather the sense of community and school loyalty that competitive athletics engender within the school.</p>
<p>Vandy is one of the many schools that does an excellent job welcoming new students during the days leading up to the first day of class. Tufts does a LOUSY job at that. Also, my sis showed me the the 2 info brochures for Parents Weekend for Tufts and Vandy and it was like “night and day.” Vandy’s was a multi-page booklet filled with a variety of fun and interesting things to do. Tufts was - well - a tri-fold listing boring lectures. The contrast was amazing.</p>
<p>My nephew at Vandy isn’t a sports nut, party-kid, or anything like that. He’s a shy ChemE serious student. But, he’s having the time of his life.</p>
<p>My daughter is at Wash U and, although they don’t have big-time sports, there’s a great sense of community there. Freshman Orientation (and freshman experience generally) is outstanding.</p>