The challenge is on!

As part of the Recruitment and Retention Project (RRP), the Enhancing Community & School Spirit (ECSS) subject matter team is challenging University departments, faculty, staff and students to wear Game Day Shirts on the day of our Pronghorn Athletics games.

The ECSS team has partnered with Sport & Recreation Services to develop the initiative, and an initial order of shirts for participating departments has already taken place. ECSS team leaders, Kara Watson and Trevor Flexhaug, say the initiative is designed to foster a greater awareness and promotion of when Horns games are taking place, to engage more faculty, staff and students with Pronghorn Athletics by having them attend games and to increase the pride of wearing our University of Lethbridge branded clothing.

Horns culture gets a boost from a new campus initiative aimed at engaging the University community.

"It's also about having some fun and challenging departments across campus to see who can promote the Horns' brand the best and increase attendance at the games," says Flexhaug.

The University's Calgary and Edmonton campuses are also invited to participate.

"It's exciting to see an initiative like this take shape," says Sandy Slavin, executive director of Sport & Recreation Services (SRS). "Pronghorn Athletics represents the entire University and to see widespread support like this is great for the program and will really be noticed by our student-athletes."

Robb Engen, the manager of marketing and promotion for S&RS, is a member of the ECSS team and helped direct the proposal. He says that SRS will provide campus with notice the day prior to every Horns game so that everyone will know when to wear the shirts. Game days are also promoted on the University's digital signage system and on the University Drive digital screen. A full Pronghorns season schedule is available at gohorns.ca.

The impetus for the initiative comes from a School Spirit Student Survey that was conducted by the ECSS team. The survey indicated that 49 per cent of student respondents (1,017 students responded in total) had never attended a Pronghorn game, 25 per cent indicated there was a need to create more awareness of Horns Athletics on campus and better communication of campus events, while less than 44 per cent of respondents had ever worn U of L branded clothing.

This is just the initial stage of the Game Day Shirts project, with the campus departments that most interact with our students invited to participate.

Watch for further promotion of Game Day Shirts (they'll be available at the Horns Athletics Office, PE210, later this month) and upcoming staff, faculty and department opportunities to get involved.

"It's a great way for everyone to get involved in our campus community and to really add to our school spirit," says Watson. "Let's go Horns!"

This story first appeared in the November 2012 issue of the Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.