Purple Pride

Hi my name is David Thompson. I'm currently a sophamore here at UP. I, along with my buddy Clay Williams, have been selected to lead Purple Pride. Since this past year was the first that Purple Pride was an official club on campus the rules have changed a little from the past. Our goal however is to re-energize the student section, and the community who loves Pilot athletics. However we are starting from very little. Just for reading this, I'm assuming that you care about U of P and I'm asking for suggestions from you on what I could do to make next year better. Any suggestion would help. Thank you
-David

Welcome aboard, 13.

I read the article in The Beacon about the changes for next year, and it sounds good to me. I am sure that Stonehouse & the Rochins will be great resources for you... and I am sure most of us would help out however we can...

Agreed, although I'm sure as an official student club your "restrictions" will be a bit more prevalent than we shared, but definitely if you ever want to talk about organization or whatever I know I am down, and the stonehouse is down... the 54 might be a bit out of town but yeah hit us up, I'll even let you touch the Coky jersey to get in touch with some Pilot lore...

Congrats, David! I read that Beacon article too, and it sounds good... student leadership is definitely the key ingredient to success!

I know Clay real well... I'll be up at UP for the game tomorrow - I'm sure I'll see Clay there and we can talk about it. If you want to meet up after the game at the Cove or something (since your only as sophomore, I guess the T-Room is out), let me know.

Haha... well if we went to the T-Room Before 9 I'm pretty sure he could get in... Nothing better than discussing Purple Pride strategy over a delicious T-Burger....

I'm sorry, I don't know anyone on here, but i'd like to. I feel like you could help us out a lot. Who are you, what was purple pride like when you were here. Any information like that would be great, And I'll be able to go to the T-room in December, so before conference schedule.

Its amazing the difference between Purple Pride two years ago when they met up in my old neighbor's backyard, usually with "refreshments" before the game, then occasionally made it to the game for the 2nd half, and last year. It is moving in the right direction... nice to see a young guy taking a leadership role and excited about doing it. I am not a UP alum, and I certainly wish my University had some sort of student support organization.

Yo PP13... check our inbox on here!

As a long time observer of the student section, seems to me that it is important that the time out music (both canned and pep band) needs to be coordinated to get students involved. Done well, the students are part of the show. Students obviously enjoyed Zombie Nation a few years ago, and it is done at many other places to get the students involved. Theme music to match the opponent is fun; Beach Boys when Pepperdine is in town etc. Judicious timing of the fight song when the team makes a run. I suppose some old fuddy duddies like me complain about the music (too loud ), but hopefully the administration will decide an energized student section is more important than not waking up the old alums . I'm sure that if the end result is better results and more wins the oldtimers will stop complaining, or their seats will be taken by fans wanting to join the fun.

If I remember correctly, didn't the band used to play the Darth Vader theme from "Star Wars" when the Zags would take the court?

We have in the past played the fight song when a timeout is called, and it doesn't take long in the band to know when it's coming, but as discussed after the Gonzaga game, the people from athletics that run the game decided to play recorded music when the opponent calls timeout. The band would play when the Pilots call a timeout. Some of the people in athletics realize this is not the best arrangement, but they aren't the ones doing the game planning.

I would rather keep playing whatever we're playing than acknowledge the existence of the Zags...

Well, I still have visions of "Purple Haze" being the theme song for the student section, but unfortunately I think the kids these days just don't know that song. Very sad. But the band does a nice version of that. (Or at least they used to.)

But I agree with you, up7587... a theme song or pump-up song or whatever would be good, especially if it can get engrained in is a tradition.

Whaddaya mean "used to?" We still have it. We also have "Purple People Eater," but I don't know if they know that one either. Some of these students probably can't name all 4 Beatles....
Way back in the day I think the student section was called the Purple Haze, and I recall seeing them in one of the floor sections behind the basket.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:Whaddaya mean "used to?" We still have it.

I thought so, but I wasn't sure... all the games over the years have blended together a bit!

And I definitely remember Purple Haze the student group... and the Co-Pilots after them.

these are great ideas, you guys are helping a ton, anything else that comes to mind?

Use the band. We'd love to play stuff you guys want.