South Side Love — Pittsburgh Passion getting ready for 2006 season

With all the student-oriented promotions Pittsburgh had to offer, it used to be hard for… With all the student-oriented promotions Pittsburgh had to offer, it used to be hard for Pitt students to find the right activities to occupy their time

This year, however, the search ends at George Cupples Stadium on East Carson Street on Pittsburgh’s South Side.

“[We] would love to see a large fan base of support from the Pitt students,” said Jen Moody, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Passion, Pittsburgh’s full-contact women’s football team. “The location of our home games on the South Side will make it easier and more accessible for the students.”

The Passion competes in the 36-team National Women’s Football Association. And after bouncing around three different home fields since their team’s founding in 2002, the players are excited about their new home, and hopefully, their new fans.

“It would be great to have Pitt students at the games,” Passion tight end Kate Sullivan said. “[They] have a great reputation for bringing a lot of energy and excitement. Pitt students have a positive presence, which entices others to see what they are up to.”

But in order to entice the students first, the Passion has organized a barrage of game-day events and promotions to lure the Pitt student body away from its conventional Saturday night hangouts.

With everything from former Steeler and Hall of Fame inductee Franco Harris performing the opening-game coin toss, to the Pitt pep band performing at every home game, the Passion feels they have put together a unique and fun Saturday night outing, but with the convenience of the South Side location.

“It’s a good opportunity to do something different on a Saturday night,” Sullivan said. “With public transportation and proximity to Pitt’s main campus, it really is an easy Saturday night source of entertainment.”

“It’s the perfect way to spend a Saturday evening,” Moody added. “Going out to dinner on the South Side, coming to a Passion football game and then maybe going out with friends after.”

And if there is anybody that can be treated as the voice of experience, it could possibly be either Moody or Sullivan. Both are Pitt graduates.

“I always thought that Pitt had a friendly atmosphere,” Sullivan said. A native of Chicago, Sullivan received her teaching certificate in elementary education from Pitt after graduating from John Carroll University.

“[It] was a huge environment change for me. Coming from a mid-sized school