GAA Recharges SUA's Spirit
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y that’s the Ursula battle cry! Saint Ursula, Saint Ursula what’s your cry? V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! This chant is the epitome of what it means to be a supporter of Bulldog athletics. It energizes the student section and gets everyone involved, just as GAA (Girls Athletic Association) does. We can all recognize that GAA spearheads the amazing school spirit that SUA is known for. I thought it would be fun to talk with a GAA board leader about this incredibly special group.
Senior and student body president Ellen Scott '22 is known for being at every game excited to root for her bulldawgs and leading us in fun-spirit filled cheers. She says that her favorite part is “planning all the events and seeing them come to life.” The events include things like, spirit week, pep rallies, spirit points, game themes, father daughter dance, and many more. She does not deny that it takes a ton of time to plan the activities we all look forward to because things like “flash mobs and pep rallies have a lot of work put into planning them, but it’s worth it when it all comes together."
Collectively, GAA constantly works to reiterate that all students can have school spirit, whether they play a sport or not. They encourage this through spirit points and fun themes that gets everyone involved. Ellen thinks it’s important to have school spirit because “when everyone is excited to come to school events it just brightens our community all the much more.” The involvement of each individual really brings us all together to create a strong sisterhood. Ellen also speaks to anyone who doesn’t play a sport and encourages them to come to all games as “the student section and spirit at the game is contagious and makes you feel a part of the team for whatever sport you are at."
After missing many of the normal Saint Ursula GAA functions last year, the club is planning many fun-filled upcoming events that the whole student body can look forward to. Ellen is most excited for the father daughter dance because “it has been so long since we’ve had one, and the seniors are the only grade that have experienced it. It is an awesome event that I’m so excited for everyone to be a part of.” Many other plans are in the works as the fall sports continue and the winter season looms!
It is obvious that GAA is a defining factor of Saint Ursula athletics. It is a huge motivator for all the athletes, as they feed off the energy of the crowd. It brings everyone together for a common goal that allows us all to support one another. These GAA leaders in the school add another layer of spirit to 1339 East McMillan. For the rest of the student body, they are inspiring examples of school pride that we can all model off of. Next time you see a GAA board member make sure you say thank you for all they do and GO BULLDOGS!