Purple Friday Program Created to Promote School Spirit
When Sarah Seberger (‘10) and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) had a meeting with then Truman President Darrell Krueger in the fall of 2009, the topic of discussion was school spirit and how to increase spirit across campus.
Seberger, who was serving as the vice president of SAAC, proposed to the committee that they have a designated day of the week for wearing Truman apparel. The committee thought it was a great idea as most of them had spirit days in high school. Once she got the approval of Linda Anderson, Truman’s associate athletic director and SAAC advisor, she reached out to Laura Bates, Center for Student Involvement director, Liz Jorn, instructor in exercise science, and the members of Student Senate.
This informal group brainstormed and ended up with the foundation for Truman’s Purple Fridays with the ultimate goal to encourage pride in being a member of the University and being a Bulldog. Student Senate voted on a resolution deeming the first Purple Friday as Dec. 11, 2009.
The group worked hard to encourage students, faculty and staff to wear purple every Friday to show their Truman spirit. A more formal Purple Friday committee was formed in the fall of 2010 and additional activities were added that included student gatherings in the Student Union Building and music on the Mall, as well as giving out prizes every Friday to reward those who were found showing their purple Truman spirit.
The Purple Friday Committee is now under the umbrella of Truman's Student Government, but continues to have involvement from Residence Life, CSI, SAAC, along with other students dedicated to showing their support and pride for Truman by wearing purple every Friday.
Seberger, who was serving as the vice president of SAAC, proposed to the committee that they have a designated day of the week for wearing Truman apparel. The committee thought it was a great idea as most of them had spirit days in high school. Once she got the approval of Linda Anderson, Truman’s associate athletic director and SAAC advisor, she reached out to Laura Bates, Center for Student Involvement director, Liz Jorn, instructor in exercise science, and the members of Student Senate.
This informal group brainstormed and ended up with the foundation for Truman’s Purple Fridays with the ultimate goal to encourage pride in being a member of the University and being a Bulldog. Student Senate voted on a resolution deeming the first Purple Friday as Dec. 11, 2009.
The group worked hard to encourage students, faculty and staff to wear purple every Friday to show their Truman spirit. A more formal Purple Friday committee was formed in the fall of 2010 and additional activities were added that included student gatherings in the Student Union Building and music on the Mall, as well as giving out prizes every Friday to reward those who were found showing their purple Truman spirit.
The Purple Friday Committee is now under the umbrella of Truman's Student Government, but continues to have involvement from Residence Life, CSI, SAAC, along with other students dedicated to showing their support and pride for Truman by wearing purple every Friday.
