Running head: HOWS YOUR SPIRIT?

Hows your spirit? Taylor Davis, Matt Geslin, Brittani Hunter, Anna Decker Queens University of Charlotte

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT?

Abstract Many different factors contribute to the experience students have at a particular college or university. Campus involvement, dorm life, club membership, sporting events, and class attendance all contribute to the sense of belonging students feel while attending a particular institution. Each institution has particular symbols that are common and invoke a sense of school spirit and pride. This study discovered which symbols have the most powerful impact on students and examined how these symbols contribute to students sense of school spirit and pride. Through questionnaires, students and faculty at Queens University of Charlotte were asked to identify which symbols stand out the most to them and what effect these symbols have in their sense of school pride/ spirit. This study also identified which events students are most likely to attend to demonstrate their pride/ spirit.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT CHAPTER I. II. INTRODUCTION REVIEW OF LITERATURE Components of Social Capital Building Social Capital from the Ground Up The Communicative Power of Symbols and Signs School Logo Student Involvement Sporting Events Cheerleaders Mascots Campus Clubs & Organizations Further Research & Things to Consider III. METHODOLOGY Objective Participants & Procedures Research Questions Hypotheses Survey Design IV. V. RESULTS DISCUSSION What We Discovered VI. VII. CONCLUSION REFERENCES 16 16 17 17 17 21 25 26 31 33 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 4 2

APPENDICES A: Questionnaire B: Informed Consent Form 187 189

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? REFERENCES Introduction 197

Each member of the group agreed upon the topic of how school spirit and pride is communicated through symbols present on campus. Each member shared a common interest in communication, campus events and involvement, sports, and has a love for Queens. It was only fitting that this study appealed to all interests and furthered our knowledge of what gets other students involved. The purpose for this study was to learn more about the student body at Queens and interpret enough data to come up with reasons why students are or are not involved in campus activities. The overall goal of this project was to discover ways to improve school spirit. In our research we consulted academic journals and scholarly articles relevant to our topic. Some of the major categories of the literature review include identifying the components of social capital and building social capital from the ground up. The next category details student involvement through subsections of sporting events, cheerleaders, mascots, and campus clubs and organizations. The final section in the literature is the section for further research and considerations. Through our research we found that other sources would have been beneficial to this study or will be beneficial to future researchers studying this topic. We studied relevant artifacts present on Queens campus. These artifacts include the Queens logo, the school mascot, and the cheerleaders. The findings detailed which symbols are most effective in invoking a sense of pride in Queens. The study also touched on how often students attended the various events on campus and how they felt about different categories of events. We asked about religious, social, and athletic

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? activities available across campus. We also asked an assortment of likert scale and free

response questions to get more information out of participants than we did from the basic multiple-choice answers. The structure of the project follows the path laid out by the research questions and hypotheses constructed for this study. The main research question for this study asks: To what extent do symbols create a sense of school spirit? The subsequent research questions structuring the project include, How is school spirit communicated at Queens University of Charlotte?, Which symbols are the most popular?, and Which symbols are most visible? In asking these questions, the hypotheses of the study were supported. 66 questionnaires were administered and showed that the more active students are, the higher their level of school spirit is. This study also found that the amount of effort demonstrated by the student directly correlated to that students level of excitement. Lastly, the more popular a particular symbol was, the more a student identified with it.

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Literature Review Through particular symbols on college campuses, a sense of school spirit arises from a universitys social capital. Many components are present in creating what we refer to as school spirit on college campus, both in forms of verbal and non-verbal communication. We will explore how school spirit is communicated through different symbols on college campuses as well as the interaction between students as they create a sense of campus community and cohesion in relation to their identity to their college or university. College symbols used to communicate school spirit include campus life, student involvement on campus in clubs and organizations, and sporting events. Components of Social Capital Social capital is a concept that encompasses the idea of campus community, connectedness, and belongingness to a given university. The combination of concepts works to generate a sense of school spirit and pride on college campuses. If students feel included in the student body, they personally develop pride for the school they represent. Clopton and Finch (2010) claim that social capital is generally accepted as consisting of networks of relationships based on trust, norms of reciprocity, mutual obligation, and cooperation (as cited in Coleman, 1988; Putnam, 2010). Social capital is representative of numerous factors that contribute to a sense of campus community.. Sports and Social Networking, and their Relevance to Social Capital Phua (2009) conducts a study linking the use of facebook sports applications to creating social capital. Fan identification, self-esteem and satisfaction with life also impacted social capital (Phua, 2009). Phua (2009) attributes the interaction with

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? facebook sports applications with each of the components that impacted social capital.

Measuring social capital through facebook interaction could be an accurate representation of building social capital because sports fans spend an estimated 13 hours online reading and sharing sports information (Phua, 2009). Interaction with sports applications through social media can supplement for face-to-face interaction with other sports fans (Phua, 2009). Phuas (2009) interpretation of social capital in relation to facebook is relevant to our research because each of the components that he identified to build social capital, fan identification, self-esteem and satisfaction with life, are also achievable in a real world complex outside of facebook and other social media sources. Claiming that social capital is derived from social relationships, he understands the human component that helps create social capital (Phua, 2009). Through social media, fans can still interact with one another and create their own set of norms (Phua, 2009). Fans have the ability to follow their teams progress and checking player and team statistics. Social capital then arises from the connection that sports fans make online with other fans (Phua, 2009). Whether fans are connecting with long-time friends, or making new connections, they are building relationships and social capital (Phua, 2009) Building social capital from the ground up. Oehler (2007) details the story of a new university, UC Merced, the tenth University of California campus. He includes the preliminary planning procedures prior to the construction of campus facilities all the way through students journeys throughout the year. Considering how school spirit is created from the development of a new university provides a unique perspective. Most research conducted on campus life and school spirit focuses on universities that have already been

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? established. In these cases, researchers gather information based on previously developed campus norms. Oehler observes all of the factors that contribute to school spirit from the beginning stages. Prior to the actual construction of campus facilities, Oehler (2007) sat down with his colleagues to decide ways to enhance social capital and a sense of community on campus. Oehler (2007) aimed to convince his coworkers that, contributing to a vibrant

and healthy campus community and student life program, their academic programs would be more successful. Luckily a postgraduate student joined the UC Merced staff, and created ways to promote excitement and pride on campus. Her first task: create a student life website. The website contained housing information, campus and recreational activities, and different things that students could get involved in (Oehler, 2007). In a time where people resort to the internet for preliminary information, a website was essential in satisfying new students curiosity and concerns about the newest addition to University of California campuses (Oehler, 2007). One of the most important priorities for the UC Merced staff was not necessarily the academic structure, but the issue of how student housing and other campus activities would contribute to overall school experience. Oehler (2007) says: It was during the UC Merced spring information meetings for admitted students that it became clear to our chancellor that although the students were coming for a UC education, before they actually signed on the dotted line, they and their parents were concerned about housing, recreation, exercise, food, parking and transportation, and a cornucopia of other similar nonacademic issues (p. 10).

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? Understanding the benefits of school spirit and social capital on campus, parents

wanted assurance that their students would receive a unique, college experience. Sharing the experience of staying in the dorms with other students creates a common ground for bonds to form. These bonds led to an overall sense of connectivity and social capital on UC Merceds campus, as well as on college campuses around the country (Oehler, 2007). As UC Merced students worked together throughout the school year, they created 54 new clubs and organization, and nearly 80% of students voted in student government elections (Oehler, 2007). Oehler (2007) documented great turnouts at school dances and other university functions. Here are just a few of the successes at UC Merced during its inaugural year. All of the preliminary questions and research completed by the staff before the students arrival resulted in an undeniable connectedness and school pride amongst students on campus. Their response and attendance to events and voting polls illustrates student involvement that would not have occurred if the UC Merced staff did make it their mission to foster a healthy campus environment that would evoke social capital and school spirit at the university (Oehler, 2007). The Communicative Power of Symbols and Signs There is also a nonverbal aspect to communication that promotes school spirit. Symbols and signs, campus-wide, are not simply displayed without purpose (Bara, 2010). School associated symbols are a form of communication and student-school involvement on college campuses. Bara (2010) believes that communication, in general is intentional and overt, regardless of whether the communication is verbal or nonverbal. Focusing more on gestures and actions meant to be symbolic in human interaction, extra linguistic communication describes the use of symbolic elements and the way people comprehend

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 10 these symbols (Bara, 2010). School logo. A college or universitys logo is probably the most well recognized symbol on a college campus. Representing all things associated with the academic institution, a schools logo is important. Extra linguistic communication depends on associations people make to consider the context of the signs and symbols with the intended meaning of the non-verbal forms of communication (Bara, 2010). For instance, if students observe sports banners displayed in popular gathering spots on campus, they know they can consider the use of their school logo on the banner in addition to a football or basketball symbol to understand what the school is trying to advertise. The combination of the school logo and a given sports logo represents a school sport or even an upcoming school sporting event. Human association combined with signs and symbols reveal the intent of non-verbal forms of communication on a college campus (Bara, 2010). Coomber (2008) boasts of the added power of visuals, as a form of non-verbal communication: Visual tools enable effective communication, understanding and engagement in an increasingly complex world. We are all overwhelmed, and visual thinking and the parallel trend of simplicity are gaining momentum. We need relevant information that we can quickly and easily understand. Words alone are not enough. (p. 2). Coomber (2008) and Bara (2010) would agree that association and understanding of the external content related to signs and symbols are fundamental to interpreting these forms of non-verbal communication. From the example used earlier, college students would not

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 11 be able to assume that a banner on campus intends to advertise an upcoming football game if they did not understand the connection of the school logo and common sports symbols with their academic institution. Signs and symbols are communicative aids that can enhance communication practices (Coomber, 2008). Leading into student involvement, the overall image of college cheerleaders and the school mascot are forms of school symbols. While it is true that cheerleaders have the ability to verbally communicate with students on campus, our research is more focused on the overall image of what a cheerleader figure represents for the school. School mascots are a little different because they do not talk, as part of their demeanor; however, mascots are obvious visual symbols that can have an effect on creating social capital. Student Involvement Umbach, P.D., Palmer, M.M., Kuh, G.D., and Hannah, S.J. (2006) focuses on the difference in college experiences between student-athletes and non-student-athletes. Umbach et al. (2006) mention the importance of student engagement both, in and outside of the classroom, regardless of whether or not a student plays a sport. Umbach, et al. (2006) consider the following activities as means of student engagement: doing homework to prepare for class, participating in class, working with peers on assignments, and participating in community services projects. Engaging in the listed activities promotes a sense of connectedness among the student body. When students commit themselves to excelling inside and outside of the classroom, they carry a sense of pride within themselves that stems from learning and engaging in the college curriculum (Umbach et al., 2006).

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 12 Sporting events. Sporting events and accompanying activities that take place on college campuses are designed specifically to represent school spirit to the fullest extent. Toma (1999) refers to spectator sports as an image-building tool that must be used cautiously. Though sports are highly regarded in influencing campus community, its important to recognize that there has to be a balance in college, particularly between sports and academics. According to Toma (1999), in order to receive the consistent support for which it hopes, it is critical that a university make the appropriate connections between athletics and academics. Whether students attend the school pep rally to rile the fans up before the big game, or whether they tailgate with friends leading up to the game, they have an opportunity to enjoy the sports-centered environment designed for their enjoyment. Clopton (2009) suggests that there is a societal benefit when the social cohesion from group interaction strengthens various social values. While engaging in game day activities and when attending games, college students experience a unique bonding (Clopton, 2009). This bonding experience results from a common student interest to join together and support their team (Clopton, 2009). Contributing to the idea that sports generate a campus community, Toma (2005) suggests that attending sporting events is a way for supporting students to express institutional culture, particularly through providing concrete means to make norms, values, and beliefs more understandable. Students literally create this form of community that college students are so familiar with. The culture associated with each sport, and the norms demonstrated around the events illustrate how sports help mold campus culture (Toma, 2005). Clopton and Fincher (2010) see sports as the medium for generating a feeling of connectedness on campus:

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 13 In fact, a positive relationship exists between the presence of athletics on campus and the perceived sense of community on campus (Clopton & Fincher, 2010). They associate the connectedness that students have to their campus communities with a level of personal connectedness that individual fans and students have with the sporting events and their enjoyment of the events (Clopton & Fincher, 2010). Though most students attend sporting events accompanied by friends and acquaintances; the experienced sense of community that results from attending the events still originates from each individual fan (Clopton & Fincher, 2010). A students interest in a sporting event leads them to connect with others who share a common interest. Cheerleaders. Viewed as campus ambassadors of spirit, cheerleaders are given high expectations to uphold when selected for a universitys cheerleading squad. Bennett (1990) argues that many of the high expectations in the classroom, outside of the classroom, and at games are unrealistic to satisfy. Tracing the expectation of cheerleaders back from grade school up until college, the expectations continue to rise. Cheerleaders are expected to: always appear friendly, be enthusiastic, cooperate and get along with teachers and fellow peers, always keep a cool temperament, and set good examples for others on campus to follow (Bennett, 1990). The growing list of expectations can be attributed to the increase in the number of people youre exposed to from grad school through college. Cheerleaders are expected to uphold every expectation set by coaches and instructors (Bennett, 1990). Coaches hold high standards for cheerleaders because they know the cheerleaders are placed in the spotlight as spirit leaders. In order to promote a positive sense of school spirit, the individuals promoting the spirit must lead positive, healthy lifestyles (Bennett, 1990).

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 14 Bennett (1990) would argue that cheerleaders are not the best ambassadors to portray school spirit. Forced to uphold unrealistic standards and expected to maintain perfect physical appearance, the society around which college cheerleaders perform for molds them into sexual figures (Bennett, 1990). From their short skirts with bloomers visible underneath, to their focus on attractive qualities, Bennett (1990) feels that in American education a contradictory message is sent to cheerleaders. To win the most approval from powerful adults, an adolescent girl must obey school officials in a very specific and sexual manner. As the adolescent cheerleaders grow up to perform for larger crowds in college, they carry on the same mentality that Bennett (1990) suggests they develop from cheerleading at an early age. Because little research has been conducted on college cheerleaders and how they promote school spirit, there are many perspectives to be explored. Bennetts reference to the high expectations cheerleaders must uphold to promote school spirit coincides with our research intentions. Mascots. College sporting events wouldnt be the same without the infamous school mascot. First year student at NYU, Luke First, focused on the significance of different school mascots when applying to colleges. When asked how to determine if a college was right for him, First answered, Follow the mascot (First, 2009). When identifying a college or university, people refer to the university name and the mascot (e.g. the Clemson Tigers, the North Carolina Tarheels). First (2009) claims he spent days questioning which mascot he wanted to be associated with. The authors interesting take on selecting a college for admission is a direct reference to how school mascots communicate school spirit throughout the university and even outside of the university

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 15 setting. Symbolizing the university to those other than students illustrates how college mascots effectively communicate school spirit. Campus clubs and organizations. Schubmehl, Cubbellotti, and Omum (2009) hypothesized that involvement in a campus religious group would increase students overall GPAs. Findings disputed their hypothesis, leaving them to conclude that increased participation in the campus ministry organization could be attributed to students individual religious standings (Schubmehl et al., 2009). Limitations of the experiment included a lack of diversity in the small sample. Researchers administered questionnaires only to the Marist College Campus Ministry versus to a diverse group of participants from Marist College (Schubmehl et al., 2009). Though Schubmehl et al.s (2009) study does not show a correlation between involvement in an organization and students GPA, researchers could also study the correlation between organization involvement and a sense of campus community in general. It would also be interesting to see the difference in correlation between different campus organizations and GPA. Some organizations require certain GPAs to be considered a member of the organizations. Research on the effect of campus clubs and organizations, specifically, is limited. Further Research and Things to Consider After review of the literature on different symbols that help communicate school spirit at a college or university, we have developed more questions to address in our research.

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 16 Methodology Survey Objective In this study, we hope to determine which symbols present on college campuses have the most powerful impact on students and will examine how these symbols contribute to students sense of school spirit and pride. Furthermore, we hope to discover which campus events students are most likely to attend to demonstrate their pride/spirit. We believe the more frequent and prominent the symbols are displayed and recognized, and the more students engage in activities, the more frequent students will show pride in the institution they attend. Participants and Procedure In order to measure the effect of student involvement in campus activities, two groups of people will be targeted. The first group will be the students, classified as anyone in college, ranging in age from 17-23 years old. Participants will come from the Queens University of Charlotte campus. The questionnaire will be administered in November 2011, during normal daytime class hours. Students will be randomly selected and asked to take the questionnaire. The sampling will also take into consideration the various levels of participation each student has while at the events they choose to attend. The second group of people will be the faculty and staff, anyone who is working in or around the school sponsored events. Participants will be sourced from the staff of the schools academic, coaching and administrative staff. The ages of these participants will vary. This will provide a balanced sample of college-aged students from a variety of social backgrounds and faculty with equally diverse backgrounds. All questionnaires will be self-administered on the days that the students and faculty are being surveyed.

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 17 Questions RQ1: To what extent do symbols create a sense of school spirit? RQ2: How is school spirit communicated at Queens University of Charlotte? RQ3: Which symbols are most popular? RQ4: Which symbols are most visible/known? RQ5: How are events publicized? RQ6: Does the school mascot and cheerleaders make a difference? What do they add? RQ7: How does school spirit shape Queens? (Cultural theory) Hypotheses H1: The more a particular symbol is seen and recognized, the more a student will identify with it and transfer that to campus identity and pride. H2: Student involvement and the campus communitys excitement about Queens vary according to the levels of effort demonstrated by individuals to be involved. H3: Students more actively involved in campus events will show higher levels of school spirit and pride. Survey Design Participants will be asked to give information about their class ranking (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior), age, level of campus involvement, leadership, residence, and interests. 1. Number of campus events attended in given semester: a) b) c) d) 2. none 1-5 6-10 11+ Events you most attend

a) Athletic (basketball, soccer, lacrosse, softball etc.)

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 18 b) Religious (FCA, Young Life etc.) c) Social (casino night, Greek function etc.) d) Other ____________________ 3. How do you hear about events? a) b) c) d) The Chronicle RexText Friends Flyers/Posters

4. What do you like best at the events? a) b) c) d) e) The event itself Promotions Sponsorships/ Giveaways Food/Beverages Friends

5. What gets you to events? a) b) c) d) Friends going Giveaways The event itself Food/ Beverages

6. Rate experience at events a) b) c) d) Excellent Good Fair Poor

7. Satisfaction with Queens Athletic Program Very satisfied Satisfied Somewhat satisfied Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied 8. Satisfaction with Queens campus community. Very satisfied Satisfied Somewhat satisfied Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied No real feelings Very dissatisfied No real feelings Very dissatisfied

9. Religious clubs/organizations play a strong role in cultivating school spirit.

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 19 Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

10. Athletics play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

11. Social clubs/organizations play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree 12. The success of an event determines the size of the crowd it will draw. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

13. There would be more attendance if the events are most publicized. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

14. Which symbol most represents school spirit? a) The Queens logo b) School Mascot Rex c) Cheerleaders 15. Where do you see these symbols most often? a) Car stickers & Apparel b) Events c) Posters/ flyers and campus documents 16. Which, if any, clubs/ organizations are you actively involved in? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ __ a) If you hold a leadership position in that organization what is it? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ __ 17. Describe your level of school spirit/ pride a) Very high b) High c) Average d) Relatively low e) Nonexistent

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18. What would increase your level of school spirit? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ 19. What would get you to attend more events? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ Other ideas: questions on Queens community agree-disagree statement regarding social habits interest in events knowledge of events I would prefer to go to another school (agree-disagree) I am proud of my college team (agree-disagree) Other schools promote and display campus spirit and pride more effectively

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Results To collect our data, we handed out questionnaires on Queens University of Charlottes campus. We collected results from over sixty people. Participants ranged from Freshman to Faculty members on campus. As stated in our methodology and abstract, the purpose of our research was to figure out what symbols on campus helped create school spirit. We based most of our questions i on things that would help promote more school spirit. We asked a few demographic questions in addition to asking how many events people participated in or attended. We had a mixture of likert-scale questions as well as specific response questions. A full copy of our questionnaire can be found in the appendix of the report. Questionnaire results revealed that just over half of the people, 36 of 66, surveyed were satisfied or very satisfied with the athletic program on campus. Seven had no real feeling and five were very dissatisfied with the program. Of the 66 people surveyed, 47 people agreed that athletics play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. Our results also showed that 25 people believed that the Queens logo most represents school spirit, and 19 people answered that Rex the mascot represents school spirit most. Only three people felt that the cheerleaders best represented school spirit. We also asked those who participated if they believed that social clubs/organizations play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. We found that it was a pretty strong feeling as 16 people strongly agreed and 16 agreed. 12 were undecided and only four disagreed to some degree. Below are the graphs with the actual results for these questions:

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Other questions included on the questionnaire were more about how people knew about events, what events they went to, the number of events , and what got them to events. The questions were valuable in respects of seeing how people feel about events. They gave us a better perspective of what people felt but they were not as important as the four shown above. The questionnaire also included open-ended questions allowing for subjects to expand on their answers. We focused on the open-ended question that asked What

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 24 would increase your level of school spirit? From the majority of the responses, we gathered that people either wanted more free giveaways or a football team. Of course we cannot control for the lack of a university football team. However, we did get some responses that were more relevant to our research question. Many people thought there needed to be more events that were leading up to games, such as pep rallies or specific game events. Other participants mentioned having a student section while others thought there needed to be more awareness about events on campus.

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 25 Discussion This study determined which symbols have the most powerful impact on students and examined how these symbols contribute to students sense of school spirit and pride. Through questionnaires, we found that over half of Queens college students are satisfied with the athletics program on campus. Very few had no feeling and only five were dissatisfied with the program. Over half of the people surveyed they felt that athletes play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. We also found that 25 people believed that the Queens Logo most represents the schools spirit and many people answered that Rex the mascot most represents this. Only three people felt that the cheerleaders best represented school spirit. We found it shocking that out of all our questionnaires only three felt that the cheerleaders best represented school spirit. This was shocking to us because cheerleaders used to be the meaning of school spirit or so we thought. In this study we came to find that cheerleaders at Queens dont seem to impact or be the the best representative of school spirit. Out of the 66 people surveyed, only three felt that the Cheerleaders most represented school spirit. Based on our personal understanding and experiences, we expected cheerleaders to be more of a symbol of school spirit, for that is what cheerleading means. Their job is to get others excited and have crowds roaring. We truly felt our paper had a true meaning. We also asked those who participated if they believed that social clubs/ organizations play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. We found that it was a pretty strong feeling as 16 people strongly agreed, 16 agreed. 12 were undecided and only four disagreed to some degree. We feel that this might be the case because of the sheer sizes

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 26 of clubs as well as what it means to be apart of that organization. When you are looking to join a club or organization, you arent joining it to join, you are joining the club to say that you yourself feel what they club or organization believes. It becomes a part of you and you become a part of it. This idea of becoming one with your club and it becoming a part of you is what we feel is missing or needed not only in athletics, but also as a whole in the university. One of the things that we found from our results that we cannot control is the creation of a football team. A lot of students felt that this idea of a football team would automatically create a greater sense of school spirit. Many of the other responses were that people wanted more free stuff. What was discovered?

Athletes play a strong role in cultivating school spirit The Queens Logo most represents the schools spirit Cheerleaders dont represent the highest amount of school spirit Social clubs/organizations play a strong role in cultivating school spirit The need for more events that lead up to games such as pep rallies or specific game events.

Give a ways get a crowds spirit up A student section would help to increase school spirit Clubs/ organizations play a strong role in school spirit

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School spirit is communicated through different symbols on college campuses. Symbols used to communicate school spirit include campus life, student involvement on campus in clubs and organizations, and sporting events.

Pep rallys are key to getting students school sprit going.

After taking a look at the different views of our student body, i.e sports, clubs and organizations, and regular students we feel that the school sprit can be brought to its max by the events such as pep rallies, planning them more than once or at all. Having more pep rallys would raise the level of school sprit more pep rallies means more giveaways, and more time to focus on our school pride, more appearance of a mascot (Rex) and the excitement of students spending time with other peers supporting there school. We also feel that a designated student section especially at basketball games would be a tremendous way to increase school spirit. If you look at other larger schools and see the fans gathered in one place, then you can see why a student section is needed. They are all engaged and come together to form one student body. We feel that creating this section would allow for the students to kind of take ownership of what the environment would be at basketball games. It would give them a chance to unwind from the strenuous hours and amount of homework that they have and just enjoy a game and be loud and rowdy. We feel that an increase in publicity is important because we feel that publicity is a major key to everything. Giving more publicity would give students time to prepare and schedule time to be able to attend events. Being a college student and being well organized is key to everything. This sentiment was stated in our results numerous times

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 28 that if they had had more time or less class work or school work to take care of that they might be able to attend more events. If students have the awareness of when events are, they will be able to plan there homework and work schedule so they can attend events with their peers. We found that the best way to get the word out to the campus is simply by having posters or fliers made and posted in all buildings prior to the event. This will allow students to know that an event is happening and plan for it. If you look at events like Casino night and other CUB events, they have great attendance and students really enjoy those events. The attendance is because of the publicity that is put forth. We also feel that there are some other means of communicating to students such as RexText, Twitter, Facebook, and direct word of mouth. There is nothing more powerful than having your friend come up to you and tell you that you guys are going to an event. Queens Athletics definitely has taken a step in the right direction with creating a Sports Marketing Association. Our sports marketing association was created by students as well as the assistant athletic director, Cherie Swarthout. It started two years ago and offers students internships and a chance to give back to their university. The sports marketing association was designed to increase student attendance, fan experience and most importantly school spirit by creating a culture that made students want to attend games. They still focus on keeping students aware of athletic events, publicizing events, and getting prizes and sponsors. New ideas for new prizes to keep the expectations high of whats going to happen next at a school event. Even they have come a long way if you ask them. Matt Geslin, the Vice President and one of the co-founders told us that when the association started nearly three years ago the fan support at basketball games wasnt

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 29 even a hundred people. Now if you attend a mens home game the crowds average roughly triple that if not more. One major project that the Sports Marketing Association is looking to do is get spotlights for our basketball games. Basketball is a huge event at Queens and adding spotlights to our pre-game introductions can only make the excitement for the players and students increase. Having this marketing team is a huge benefit not only to our student body but to our players as well. This will benefit our athletes by giving them the support and fan base they desire. They will want to train harder and be better players. which means more excitement in the game and ultimately will lead to more wins. The only problem that we have seen with the Marketing Association is that they have not done a great job of getting the word out. Based on our results we can see that a lot of people believe that they do not know enough about events and need increased awareness. We feel that even with the tremendous work done by the SMA (Sports Marketing Association) that there still needs to be support from the community as a whole. Just because they post things on campus and on social media sites doesnt mean that people will necessarily go. There is some ownership that has to come from the students themselves. The tools and the ways of reaching this are definitely available. School sprit doesnt jut get students to have more pride. It carries over to our professors, employees, and will even bring recruits to see that Queens has something that other schools dont. The pride of loving your school comes from every direction and that only improves what the school has to offer in every aspect. We do realize that we are limited by what can be done simply because of the size of the school. If you get four hundred people, two hundred of which are students at a school that is a little over two

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 30 thousand than you are looking at nearly ten percent of your student body, which is incredible. Yet the reason why we conducted this study is because we felt that many people although they go to events, just go because its an event, not because its something that they are eager to go to and become engaged with. Conclusion Researching topics that were somewhat relevant to our topic, we were limited by a lack of pertinent sources. There was a lack of communication-based literature with connections to school spirit on college campuses. There is an abundance of literature focusing on college sports and sports fans in other scholarly journals; however, we were trying to make connections between school spirit, sports and communication. In an attempt to make connections between school spirit and college campuses, we had to find communication sources based on signs, symbols, and capital outside the context of college campuses and school spirit. We were able to make connections, however. This leaves room for further communication-based research in this area. After review of the literature on different symbols that help communicate school spirit at a college or university, we developed more research questions to address in our questionnaires and findings. Due to the lack of information on two major symbols, college cheerleaders and college mascots, we refocused questions on the questionnaire to capture students opinions on how effective cheerleaders and mascots are at communicating school spirit. In order to gain richer information from questionnaires, we also provided a few open ended questions to allow participants to expand on their ideas of school spirit. It is important to stress the process of how these symbols communicate school spirit focusing on the communication tactics that relate to social capital.

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 31 Throughout the research process, it was increasingly difficult to find supporting research from communication journals. Much of the research done on the topic comes from education-based journals. Our intentions are to contribute to the topic of communication concerning school spirit on college campuses. After gathering results from our questionnaires, we were surprised about some of the participants responses. Initially, we thought people would make obvious connections between cheerleaders and school spirit. To our surprise, few people identified cheerleaders as a main source of school spirit. The questionnaire limited participants to close-ended responses (not considering the few open-ended questions at the end of the survey). Hosting a few focus groups or even a number of interviews would give us more insight behind the circled answers on the questionnaires. It would have also been helpful to host a few focus groups before issuing our questionnaires to better structure our questions based on ideas we could have obtained from focus group participants. Focus groups are always a great way to generate discussion and to get a good idea of what our intended population for the study already thinks about the research topic. One-on-one interviews would be a great follow up to the preliminary focus groups and the questionnaires. Interviewing appropriate people could help enhance our results by either reinforcing or refuting our findings while adding a touch of human opinion to the research. We hope to provide useful research in this relatively unexplored area in communication research. The idea of generating school spirit on college campuses is certainly pertinent. While it is possible to research main concepts in research and try to connect them specifically them to school spirit on college campuses, it would be nice to

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 32 see a variety of communication studies that encompass the idea of school spirit and campus activities.

References First, L. Banana Slug. (2009). Journal of College Admission, (202), 4-5. Bara, B. G., & Tirassa, M. (2010). A Mentalist Framework For Linguistic And Extralinguistic Communication. Linguistic & Philosophical Investigations, 9182193. Bennett, J. C. (1990). The secondary school cheerleader and ritualized sexual exploitation. Clearing House, 64(1), 4. Clopton, A. (2009). Students as spectators: Their academic and social integration. New Directions for Higher Education, (148), 83-89. doi:10.1002/he.371 Clopton, A. L., Finch, B.L. (2010). Are College Students 'Bowling Alone?' Examining the Contribution of Team Identification to the Social Capital of College Students. Journal of Sport Behavior, 33(4), 377. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Coomber, E. (2008). The Visual Advantage. Communication World, 25(5), 36-38. Oehler, V. (2007). Student and residence life: Planning a campus around students. New Directions For Higher Education, (139), 87-100. doi:10.1002/he.270 Phua, J. (2009). Sports Fans' Use of Facebook Sports Applications: Implications for Bridging and Bonding Social Capital.Conference Papers -- National

Communication Association, 1. Schubmehl, J., Cubbellotti, S., & Ornum, W. (2009). The effect of spirituality and

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 33 campus ministry on academic accomplishment in college students. Adolescence, 44(174), 499502..

Toma, J. (1999). The Collegiate Ideal and the Tools of External Relations: The Uses of High-Profile Intercollegiate Athletics. New Directions for Higher Education, (105), 81. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Toma, J. (2005). Amateur Ideals, Commercial Realities, and Strategic Uses: Exploring the False Divide Between Spectator Sports and the Overall University. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85(3), 32. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Umbach, P. D., Palmer, M. M., Kuh, G. D., & Hannah, S. J. (2006). Intercollegiate Athletes and Effective Educational Practices: Winning Combination or Losing Effort?. Research in Higher Education, 47(6), 709-733. doi:10.1007/s11162-0069012-9

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 34

Appendix A Queens University of Charlotte School Spirit Project The purpose of this project is to assess Queens students level of school spirit and campus involvement. Your participation will involve the voluntary completion of a questionnaire. The questionnaire will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. It contains questions about your campus experiences, attitudes and behaviors related to school sponsored events and symbols. You should complete this questionnaire only once. If you are a member of several classes or groups who are asked to complete the questionnaire, do not complete the questionnaire a second time. Your responses will be completely anonymous, since there is no way to link the responses from completed questionnaires with any particular respondent. It is anticipated that your participation in completing this survey will be an interesting experience that will contribute to understanding more about school spirit on our campus. The content of some of the items on the questionnaire may raise your level of awareness of certain feelings; otherwise, there are no expected risks or benefits associated with your participation. You may choose to withdraw your participation at any time; however, the return of your completed questionnaire will be considered as your consent to participate in this study. Please answer all questions on the questionnaire as directed

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire!

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 35

INSTRUCTIONS: Please fill out each question honestly and to the best of your ability. The following questions inquire about your involvement and views on campus involvement, school spirit/pride and materials used to promote each. Class Rank: Freshman Faculty/Staff Age:_________________ Major/Concentration:___________________________ Sophomore Junior Senior

1. Number of campus events attended in given semester: c) d) c) d) none 1-5 6-10 11+

2. Events you most attend e) f) g) h) Athletic (basketball, soccer, lacrosse, softball etc.) Religious (FCA, Young Life etc.) Social (casino night, Greek function etc.) Other ____________________

3. How do you hear about events? e) f) g) h) The Chronicle RexText Friends Flyers/Posters

4. What do you like best at the events? f) The event itself

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 36 g) h) i) j) Promotions Sponsorships/ Giveaways Food/Beverages Friends

5. What gets you to events? e) f) g) h) Friends going Giveaways The event itself Food/ Beverages

6. Rate experience at events e) f) g) h) Excellent Good Fair Poor

7. Satisfaction with Queens Athletic Program

Very satisfied Dissatisfied Satisfied Somewhat satisfied No real feelings Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Somewhat

8. Satisfaction with Queens campus community.

Very satisfied Dissatisfied Satisfied Somewhat satisfied No real feelings Very dissatisfied Dissatisfied Somewhat

9. Religious clubs/organizations play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

10. Athletics play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

11. Social clubs/organizations play a strong role in cultivating school spirit. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree 12. The success of an event determines the size of the crowd it will draw. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

13. There would be more attendance if the events are most publicized. Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 37 14. Which symbol most represents school spirit? d) The Queens logo e) School Mascot Rex f) Cheerleaders 15. Where do you see these symbols most often? d) Car stickers & Apparel e) Events f) Posters/ flyers and campus documents 16. Which, if any, clubs/ organizations are you actively involved in? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ______________ b) If you hold a leadership position in that organization what is it? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ ______________ 17. Describe your level of school spirit/ pride f) Very high g) High h) Average i) Relatively low j) Nonexistent 18. What would increase your level of school spirit? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ _____ 19. What would get you to attend more events? ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ _____

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 38

Appendix B

Informed Consent
Hows your Spirit? Project Title and Purpose: You are invited to participate in a research study entitled Hows your Spirit?. This study will determine which symbols have the most powerful impact on students and will examine how these symbols contribute to students sense of school spirit and pride. Investigator(s): This study is being conducted by students in a Communication Research class at Queens University of Charlotte as part of a class project under the direction of Dr. Nathaniel in the Communication Department. Description of Participation: In this study you will be asked to watch a short video and count one type of activity which takes place during the video. At the end of the video you will be asked to complete a short survey. Length of Participation Your participation in this project will take approximately 15 minutes. If you decide to participate, you will be one of approximately 100 participants in this study. Participants will be drawn on a convenience basis from contacts in the student population at Queens University of Charlotte and from the Charlotte community. Risks and Benefits of Participation: There are no risks known at this time associated with participating in the study. However, there may be risks which are currently unforeseeable. The only benefit of participation in this study is the knowledge you will gain about the topic being investigated. You will receive a complete description of the study when you are

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 39 finished participating. The results of the study will only be used for this class project. You may obtain a copy of all results by contacting me anytime after November 30, 2011. You will not receive financial reimbursement for your participation; however, your instructor may give you extra credit. Volunteer Statement You are a volunteer. The decision to participate in this study is completely up to you. If you decide to be in the study, you may stop at any time. You may skip any item you do not wish to answer. You will not be treated any differently if you decide not to participate or if you stop once you have started. Confidentiality: All information you provide will be kept confidential; numbers, only, are used as identification, no names will appear with the data. All data files will be destroyed at the end of the project. Fair Treatment and Respect: Queens University of Charlotte wants to make sure that you are treated in a fair and respectful manner. Contact the Universitys Institutional review Board (Dr. Lily Halsted at 704.688.2841) if you have any questions about how you are treated as a study participant. If you have any questions about the project, please contact Dr. Nathaniel. Participant Consent: I have read the information in this consent form. I have had the chance to ask questions about this study, and those questions have been answered to my satisfaction. I am at least 18 years of age, am an emancipated minor*, or my guardian has signed below, and I agree to participate in this research project. I understand that I will receive a copy of this form after it has been signed by me and the researcher. ________________________ Participant Name (PLEASE PRINT) _____________________________ Participant Signature DATE

______________________________________ Researcher Signature

_____________________ DATE

*Emancipated Minor (as defined by NC General Statute 7B-101.14) is a person who has not yet reached their 18th birthday and meets at least one of the following criteria:

HOWS YOUR SPIRIT? 40

1) has legally terminated custodial rights of his/her parents and been declared emancipated by a court; 2) is married, or 3) is serving in the armed forces of the United States.

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