Boosting Blue Hen spirit
With student organizations, athletic teams, concerts and theatre productions to enjoy, UD students have more than just academics to think about. For one group of students in particular, UD’s Spirit Ambassadors, donning the blue and gold is a major part of the Blue Hen experience.
Spirit Ambassadors are selected each year through a competitive application process. A Spirit Ambassador should possess a positive and enthusiastic attitude, leadership skills and experience and an interest in community service, according to Sandra Tilford, CHEP ’95, coordinator of alumni clubs and of the Spirit Ambassadors. Selected students work with current alumni and the University president to encourage school spirit and foster a connection between alumni and students. Spirit Ambassadors attend regular meetings to plan activities and assist with special University events including Homecoming and Honors Day.
For the 2006-07 year, the 16 students who were chosen have been active in a wide range of school activities, including honor societies, marching band and Relay for Life.
Tilford says the Spirit Ambassador program is the result of a joint decision, made more than 10 years ago, by the Office of Student Life and the Office of University Relations.
“The program was created out of a need to have a group help bridge the gap between students, administration and alumni,” Tilford says. “After graduating, Spirit Ambassador alumni tend to remain active Blue Hens by getting involved in various alumni activities. They serve an important role as students and later as alumni.”
It took a month for Tilford and the selection committee to review applications, select finalists and conduct interviews, she says, and the final decisions were announced before Homecoming in October.
“To be a Spirit Ambassador is to be part of a diverse team of talented and energetic student leaders, who exemplify the best of what the University of Delaware has to offer,” Tilford says. “Spirit Ambassadors demonstrate genuine affection for their institution by promoting school pride in and out of the classroom.”
While she is involved in the marching band, four honor societies and student teaching for her major, Karen Anderson, CHEP ’07, says the Spirit Ambassadors is one of her favorite groups at the University.
“Being a Spirit Ambassador has been a great way to meet new people, current students and alumni alike,” Anderson says. “It has been a wonderful way for me to branch out and meet individuals who have so much to offer the University.”
Anderson says she enjoys attending football and basketball games, as well as concerts presented by the music department and student theatre productions.
Stephen Shallo, AS ’07, says he attends as many athletic events as he can as a Spirit Ambassador. “The thing I enjoy most is showing my school pride and being a part of an organization that supports and encourages others to do the same,” Shallo says. “I love going to the different sporting events and painting my face in blue and gold or wearing the UD clothes and being crazy and loud so as to get the crowd riled up. It’s great.”
Shallo, who is involved with Blue Hen Ambassadors, the Delaware Undergraduate Student Congress and the Admissions Office, says students should continue to apply as Spirit Ambassadors so that the student body has a voice and representatives readily available to share their concerns with University leaders.
“For UD, having Spirit Ambassadors means that everyone at UD can be sure that school spirit will never die,” he says. “There will always be a group of energetic students to show their pride in their school and encourage others to do the same.”
Tilford says the current Spirit Ambassadors recognize what an honor and a privilege it is to represent the University community in such a unique way. “Each member is committed to re-energizing the Spirit Ambassador program by taking it to the next level in the months and years to come,” she says. “They are a small but dedicated team, driven to make a difference.”
— Julia Parmley, AS ’07