Much of the school spirit and sense of home on Slippery Rock University’s campus can be credited to an organization full of the enthusiastic, friendly and driven students that make up Green and White Society. Green and White Society is a group of students who promote school spirit and a positive environment with four campus traditions.
One of the most well-known traditions is wearing green and white on Fridays. This is a chance to show off your SRU gear and come together as a campus each week.
Another tradition is ‘rubbing the rock.’ The rock in the middle of the quad has been a symbol of good luck before a test, or just a little ritual for a good day as you walk by.
To promote friendliness, Green and White encourages the ‘hello tradition.’ This means everyone should say hello to anyone that they cross.
Their last tradition is knowing the alma mater and fight song.
All the traditions are meant to create a welcoming environment.
This semester, to promote more school spirit and emphasize their tradition of wearing green and white on Fridays, Green and White Society partnered up with the bookstore to give out t-shirts.
“We’re doing a project with the bookstore where they provide us with 15 t-shirts and we hand them out to students,” junior Courtney McCalmont, Green and White Society president, said. “Wearing green and white is usually stronger at the beginning of the year, so we are trying to bring it back in a big way and make it so there is no excuse not to wear green or white.”
Handing out the t-shirts is up to their discretion, McCalmont said. Last week, they did a t-shirt exchange. Students could hand in a t-shirt from a different college and receive an SRU t-shirt. All the old t-shirts went to Goodwill, McCalmont said. Each week, they plan on doing something different.
Besides spirit, Green and White Society just wants to make SRU feel like home for the students.
“You might graduate with a class of 90 people and come to a university with 9,000 people so it’s nice to have these traditions. It’s nice to have that sense of home.”
McCalmont said Green and White Society has made a huge impact on her time at SRU and she encourages people thinking about joining to apply.
“It’s a life-changing organization. I was the shyest girl and joined the organization with people I want to be like one day. Everyone is so energetic and positive and it’s contagious. I want to always surround myself with that. Definitely apply and get to know what it’s all about,” McCalmont said.
To apply, students can fill out an application. Some may be weeded out, and then applicants do a hands-on activity with students to get a sense of their personality. Lastly, some will go on to a one-on-one interview.
“Sometimes it even surprises me that I am in this organization because they are so driven and determined and they have this personality that glows,” McCalmont said. “Everyone is always smiling and laughing.”
