Pitt prepares with pride

There may be a little more school spirit displayed at this season’s football games, thanks… There may be a little more school spirit displayed at this season’s football games, thanks to a collaboration between the Panther Pitt and Student Government Board.

Beginning today with the first “Football Friday” of the season, members of the Panther Pitt and SGB will staff a game day information station on the lawn of the William Pitt Union. Volunteers will provide students with general game day info, cheer sheets and even the correct lyrics for the alma mater.

Students can pick up Panther Pitt stickers and check out the huge inflatable Pitt football helmet, which will be set up on the lawn every week before a home football game.

President Robin Frank created the Panther Pitt in the fall of 2003 when she realized there was no booster organization for football that was comparable to basketball’s Oakland Zoo. The group gave out blue towels for students to twirl when Pitt scored.

This season the towels are not blue, but gold, and the Panther Pitt is encouraging students to wear blue shirts to the games for the visual affect.

Newly designed blue T-shirts with the slogan “Inspiring Pitt Pride” will be sold at Football Friday’s for $7.

Board member Rebekah Bambling said the whole program came from the idea of getting students united as Pitt fans.

“Inspiring Pitt Pride really just sums up what we are doing,” said Bambling.

She explained that the slogan is not to be used exclusively by the Panther Pitt. Any student organization that wants to use it to help improve school spirit can.

In addition to the T-shirts, the athletics department purchased a 50-foot-long flag shaped like the state of Pennsylvania to be marched on to the field before kickoff.

The flag marks Pittsburgh with a giant star and a large Cathedral of Learning. It reads “Hail to Pitt,” down the right side.

Tomorrow, 100 Panther Pitt and SGB members — along with the Pitt cheerleaders — will be the first to carry the flag.

In future weeks, many different student organizations will have the opportunity to send two representatives to the field. In total, 100 students will hold the flag for each of the home games.

Frank said that this will be another way for student organizations to get their names out and to further unite the student body.

“The energy you feel of being on the field is just tremendous, and we thought that other students should get a chance to have that opportunity,” Frank said.

Panther Pitt sponsor Chris Ferris — who is also the assistant athletics director for marketing and promotions at Pitt — praised the collaboration.

“I just feel like we have developed a great teamwork environment at this university,” Ferris said.