USF Alumni and Fan discussion

[Ned A Starr RIP]

8 hours ago, CousinRicky said:

Our daughter is a USF grad but, other than some of her sorority sisters, seems to have no real tie to the university.  While standing for the singing of the alma mater before the game my wife and I sing although we never attended.  Our daughter did not sing.  Don't recall if our son-in-law sings it but I don't think he does.

 

 

I’ve been at hundreds of OU football games over many, many years, and can’t recall the OU Alma Mater ever being played, at any of those games

[CousinRicky]

I guess I did a lousy job explaining that I was looking for students and former students connection to the University in general, not necessarily just sporting events.  A few of you addressed that part of it.  

1 hour ago, NAS Gone to Paradise said:

I’ve been at hundreds of OU football games over many, many years, and can’t recall the OU Alma Mater ever being played, at any of those games

I still remember some of the words to my middle school alma mater.  The tune was to the Notre Dame fight song so maybe that helped. Can't remember my high school one at all.  Maybe if you hum a few bars.

[USF Bulls Football]

Frankly, USF has done an overall pretty shoddy job of keeping alum and recent alum interest in the program. You have to consider the dagger that was getting left behind during realignment. We’re talking probably close to a 5-10k difference in attendance.

[Fold FB Invest in BB]

My only connection to the University aside from sporting events is the $63.85 registration and specialty tag fee I pay annually.

[JTrue]

22 minutes ago, George Jenkins said:

My only connection to the University aside from sporting events is the $63.85 registration and specialty tag fee I pay annually.

Do you at least have the new green one?

[Fold FB Invest in BB]

Just now, JTrue said:

Do you at least have the new green one?

Tag obscured for privacy purposes

[SilverBull]

Nothing external can make someone love their alma mater, or anything else for that matter.   I think people tend to be connected with their University (or family or friends, etc.) about as much as they want to.   For years, because of geographic distance and other career and life demands I was not that connected with USF or athletics.   In this century, I moved back to the Tampa Bay area to be closer to my parents in their final years, to be closer to my family and, generally, because I missed "home."  Maybe it was just natural then that I started getting more and more involved with the University.   I not only increased my attendance at and donations to USF athletics, I became active in the Bulls Club, alumni association events, USF Foundation activities, certain USF arts and music programs and more recently the Office of Veterans Success.   What I discovered is the same core group of people tended to be involved in all of these areas.

Sure, the University can do certain things in outreach to its prodigal alumni.  Ultimately, however, I believe the connection must grow more organically.  The University becomes just another part of the community or "tribe" one identifies with.  As it goes with some friends and families, some people are only interested in taking part in the good times.   For others, the connection is much deeper.  Also, for many folks I think their level of interest change along with their priorities over time.  

Quite frankly, although I enjoy a winning football (or basketball or baseball) team as much as anyone, my connection with USF in my later years has become more focused on my fellowship with University "family" and helping the next generation of Bulls so that they can someday benefit from their times and ties with USF the same way I have for these oh so many years.