Universities across the nation rely on school spirit to create a unique community amongst students, faculty and alumni.
School spirit can be defined as the epitome of one’s experience at a given school, according to an article from The Classroom. It’s what separates each school from others by conjuring a sense of belonging in the community and guiding the direction of its culture.
A 2023 article from Honor Society identified key benefits to having a sense of school spirit that included creating a sense of belonging and positive campus culture, building lifelong connections and promoting emotional well being.
While some schools take it more seriously than others, where does Long Beach State fit into the school spirit spectrum?
There is a misconception that CSU Long Beach lacks school spirit for reasons that include a high percentage of students living off-campus and not having a football team.
“I think that school spirit is super important and prevalent on campus,” said junior Aubree Davie about CSU Long ’s levels of spirit.
The Daily Forty-Niner has an extensive history of documenting school spirit. A 1954 publication included former A.S. Prexy Willie Suzuki’s definition of school spirit.
Suzuki said that school spirit consisted of “small acts of being friendly and courteous, bettering the school socially, taking care of school facilities or suggesting to the council better ways of planning campus activities.”
In 1994, A.S. Sports and Spirit commissioner Ernie Solis encouraged promotional events that brought the student body closer together. These events included weeklong festivities during Homecoming Week, such as the Friendship Walk and a pregame party at The Nugget for the men’s basketball game against Memphis State.
2020 marked a shift in LBSU’s campus culture, as it changed its mascot from Prospector Pete to Elbee the Shark.
The student committee responsible for voting on the matter said the former mascot represented a genocidal era against indigenous people during the California Gold Rush.
The mascot swap did not change how students feel about school spirit given the school’s connection to the city.
Long Beach is a multicultural community, and the community’s marriage with college culture has created a unique atmosphere on campus. Students, faculty and alumni are proud to represent CSU Long Beach as an identity.
“Many students show their spirit by wearing CSULB gear on campus and around town, and I see a lot of cars with CSULB license plates and stickers,” Davie said about other student’s showing their spirit.
The Anna W. Ngai Alumni Center is a way to connect and build relationships with students and alumni. The center provides networking forums, seminars and more to encourage students to immerse themselves into our extensive community.
According to their website, the center serves as a “one-of-a-kind gathering space for both alumni and the campus community,” for connections to be “garnered, cultivated and celebrated.”
Alumni benefits include access to campus facilities, discounts on local entertainment and more, encouraging longevity and inclusion amongst the community.
As far as sports go, LBSU shows its support for athletics year in and year out.
CSU Long Beach has led the state in attendance for women’s volleyball during the 2023 season, as a crowded Sandpit will always keep it rocking inside of Walter Pyramid.
With men’s basketball and women’s basketball seasons on the horizon, students and fans will bring the same energy as Thursday’s exhibition game against Cal Lutheran.
More than 1,500 fans filled the bleachers at George Allen Field as Long Beach State women’s soccer took on UC Irvine in the Black and Blue Rivalry game on Sept. 14. The largest home crowd of the season created loud atmosphere and provided a sense of belonging to The Beach and the community.
Baseball is inextricably tied to the culture of CSU Long Beach. The Dirtbags receive a great amount of attention from the community during the spring semester, as the program’s extensive history invites students, fans and alumni to interact amongst each other.
“I would say my senior year is when I had the most amount of school spirit; that’s when I joined club baseball,” said former student Brendan Hartjoy when asked about how he got himself involved on campus.
Brendan Hartjoy graduated in 2018 and still possesses a sense of belonging and connection with his alma mater.
“When I look back now I would definitely say that I’m proud to have graduated from Long Beach State,” Hartjoy said.