School spirit and pride are important on any college campus.

So how much spirit does the University have, and how does it match up to other universities?

Well, it depends who you talk to.

Sophomore Veronica Croucher who attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University last year highlighted some of the major differences between the two schools.

The Bowling Green spirit is much more prevalent and noticeable, Croucher said. More people wear University T-shirts or sweatshirts, or have Bowling Green pillows or blankets than at Mount Vernon.

“It is evident that students here have more pride,” Croucher said.

Melissa Spirek, an associate professor of journalism at the University, attended graduate school at Purdue University, and also noticed differences in school spirit.

“The difference between Purdue and Bowling Green is the broad geographic support and depth at Purdue,” Spirek said. “There is a deeper commitment [at Purdue] that I don’t see here in the same way.”

Spirek attributed the differences in part to the geographic differences between the two schools.

“There is nothing else to do in West Lafayette,” Spirek said.

But school spirit at the University isn’t dead.

The Undergraduate Student Government launched the first Orange and Brown campaign last year in an attempt to increase spirit at the University. The campaign, which is on hiatus right now, will continue this spring, USG president Johnnie L. Lewis said yesterday.

USG is re-examining the program and looking at ways to make it as successful as possible, Lewis said.

Jill Carr, assistant vice president in the Division of Student Affairs and dean of students, stressed the positive motivation behind the campaign.

The campaign wasn’t started because school spirit was low but because the University wanted to make it higher, said Carr, who is also the USG adviser.

Through the Orange and Brown campaign, USG hopes to instill a stronger sense of pride and tradition in University students. They want all students to know and appreciate the mascots, the alma mater and the Falcons’ fight song, Carr said.

Since school started in August, the University Bookstore has sold more than 68,700 University clothing items, according to bookstore records.

And on any given day, students can be seen wearing these purchases to and from classes, or just around the city of Bowling Green.

On Saturday, students filled the Doyt L. Perry stadium with orange and brown for the Falcons first home football game. They wore jerseys and T-shirts, painted their faces and chests, waved foam Falcon claws and screamed and cheered as Bowling Green defeated Temple 48-35. The stadium was full of Bowling Green spirit and pride.

But former Falcon football player Rob Warren, said that fan support seems to be less obvious when teams hit the road.

The amount of support is not the same outside of Bowling Green because fans don’t travel with the team, Warren said.

Warren said it was especially difficult for him to feel support during the Bowling Green-Ohio State game.

“When we played at Ohio State there was a sea of red, and then a little sliver of orange,” Warren added.

Still, Warren said he has faith in the University’s spirited potential.

“School spirit here has the potential to be awesome,” said Warren. “It would be more cool if it was consistent.”