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Campaign rallies school spirit |
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Wednesday, 29 August 2007 |
by ERICA DURHAM
News Reporter
Students may notice an increase in the presence of the Appalachian State University school colors over the next few months.
As a part of the Back to Black and Gold campaign, black and gold street signs will replace the green information signs on Rivers Street to match the Appalachian State banners.
“This will be a uniting scene throughout campus, [along with] the banners on lamp posts, it will make a striking statement about Appalachian State University,” Vice Chancellor for Student Development Cindy Wallace said.
The Back to Black and Gold campaign was created by a group of alumni headed by Jeannine
Underdown-Collins and Wayne Sumner. They talked with some groups on
campus and decided to make the use of school colors a little more
intentional around campus, Wallace said.
Over 50 patrons donated about $11,000 to this campaign.
 In an effort to show school spirit, the AppalCART unveiled its App-wrapped bus in August.
| | Trey Mahoney | The Appalachian |
“Half of the money was a challenge from an anonymous donor for us to
match it,” President of Underdown Associates Jeannine Underdown-Collins
said.
The idea for this campaign began approximately three years ago when a
small group of alumni began to talk about changing the signs.
“In the fall semester of [2006] Wayne Sumner and I decided to make it a
reality…we put together a campaign to raise money for the signs by
mailing letters, e-mails and adding links to message boards,”
Underdown-Collins said.
Phase II of this campaign includes more than changing the colors of the signs on Rivers Street.
Phase II allows donors to adopt a sign and rename it. This new aspect
of the program will also include a Web site that should be done by the
end of the semester.
The involved alumni felt that this would show the students they were
here beforehand and still support the students and the university,
Underdown-Collins said.
Excitement over this new program seems to be growing throughout campus.
“It adds to [the campus]. I think it’s great if it’s not out of
university money,” Student Government President Forrest S. Gilliam said.
All the work on this campaign has been through alumni and friends, Underdown-Collins said.
For more information on the campaign visit www.alumni.appstate.edu/blog.
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