“O-H!” “I-O!”

That’s the universally known chant of The Ohio State University. Nowadays, anyone can just shout “O-H!” and get a response not just in the Columbus area, but anywhere in the world. Don’t believe it? Try it out wherever you are. A stranger is bound to respond because that is the Buckeye spirit! 

No joke, when I was in Amsterdam over the summer, I decided to test the waters and shout out “O-H” to see if I’d get a reaction; sure enough, an “I-O” echoed through the canal-filled city. No matter where you are, the Buckeye school spirit runs deep and we are world-renowned for it. 

Positive and Passionate

Even before I officially became a student at Ohio State, I quickly grasped how positively everyone had spoken about the university—it was one of the swaying factors for me as I narrowed down my top choices. 

The passion of all the faculty members in every discipline drives home the fact that a college should feel like home to you. I knew that choosing to attend a school that is known to be massive as well as competitive and diverse will be with me for the rest of my life. 

Sure, my university would attempt to trademark “The,” but that just demonstrates how much we are willing to display our devotion and love for our school and sports. Everyone has school pride and this is not only demonstrated with our football team, but also with our other sports teams, academics, activities, students, alum, and a plethora of other achievements as well. 

Local and National Spirit

This is just a microcosm of what it’s like to attend a school that is driven with school spirit as it pervades through the very fabric of the local towns and cities around it. It is a part of the mainstream culture for Ohio children across the state. School spirit makes a huge difference from merely being a school to your school. 

It sets a tone for prospective students as well as other students at other universities and colleges that we are proud of our school and this is immeasurable. School spirit practically construes the highest possible expectations and goals that one sets for themselves and their surroundings, as well as striving for more uplifting changes in not only the university but also abroad. 

As a student at Ohio State, these various things bring a lot of pride. Residents from a gamut of cities around me are fans of my school. From knowing its name, reputation, and legacy, pride and spirit can be found everywhere. Not only that, but celebrities and athletes are not just from my school, but also fans of my school. That is something that you can’t get at every college. 

I want to encourage other students from other institutions to demonstrate their own pride and love for their respective schools, because it is truly a privilege to have school spirit.