News > September 13, 2007

By Liza Greenspun | News editor

The university’s first ever “Proud to be a Deacon” Sportsmanship Campaign was launched Sept. 8 at the home football game against Nebraska. While fans may not have realized it at the time, the campaign’s first initiative was a commercial during the first quarter of the football game, featuring athletic coaches and promoting good sportsmanship.

According to junior Lauren Hubbard, co-chair of the Traditions Council and member of the campaign, these commercials, which in the future will feature student-athletes as well as the general student body, center on the motto of the campaign: “Wake Forest exemplifies dignity, class and integrity. Our desire to win has never overcome the respect we have for our opponents or their fans. Stand up, get loud and show off that competitive spirit that makes me ‘Proud to be a Deacon.’”

This motto may come to be recognized on campus, as the group is planning to hang banners in all of the sports arenas with the motto and the logo in order to increase visibility of these ideals, Hubbard said.

The logo was drawn by senior Will Warren and features the Demon Deacon in the midst of the logos of all the other Atlantic Coast Conference schools.

The campaign is a joint collaboration between members of the athletic department and leaders of the student body, including students representing the Traditions Council, Student Government, Student Union, Screamin’ Demons and the Interfraternity Council.

“Our main goal is to create an environment where we can combine a competitive mood with a welcoming atmosphere for other teams,” she said.

Hubbard added that fans should embody the class that the university regularly exudes.

The new initiative began in the spring of 2006 because there were several isolated incidents during last year’s football season that created concern within the student body and the athletic department, Hubbard said.

“We have a multitude of things we want to accomplish,” she said.

The first step includes the commercials to be played during home football games.

There were three different commercials, Hubbard said, although that number is subject to change. The next step to the campaign is to hang banners and posters with the motto and logo.

Finally, Hubbard said that ideally they would like to provide students with something tangible, such as T-shirts and cups.

Another possible step in this multiphase process is to potentially have student greeters who will greet the opposing fans at the beginning of each home game.

“It’s not an uncommon thing for schools to have sportsmanship campaigns,” she said, adding that several of the university’s peer ACC institutions have similar campaigns at their schools.