If you were to look up the antonym of ‘school spirit’ in a dictionary, a picture of my high school would be directly under the heading. I think it was the only school, in the history of formal education and perhaps humankind, to host a completely unsuccessful Sports Week. Seriously, we only had about twenty people come play Capture the Flag at lunch. Our spirit weeks had more saggy, pitiful posters than actual participation in the themed events, and Math Club attracted a larger crowd than Student Council.

At UBC, however, students actually put effort into displaying school pride. The most obvious form of this are the chants each faculty has. In fact, even as I am writing this, the Sauder rhymes refuse to leave the deep recesses of my brain, haunting me with every breath I take. We were yelling it so frequently outside the Chan Centre that someone in my Imagine Day group muttered, “This is why every other faculty hates us.”

Even more baffling and overwhelming was the pep rally, where I thought I was having a stroke since I could not decipher anything anyone was saying. Ear drums may have been important to survival at some point in human history, but I wouldn’t know; I’m not a Science student, after all.

In addition to the shouting and waving of phone flashlights and standing (which was a relief towards the end since my group was sitting on the floor. I literally hit rock bottom.), the whole hour felt like the fevered dream of a guy so drunk he had to fake his own mugging (#LochteGate). Playing the ‘Imperial March’ while welcoming faculty directors? Witnessing a cello mesh with an electric guitar? I would not have been surprised if kittens fell from the ceiling wearing Donald Trump masks.

All in all, though, this day made me realize how fortunate I am to go to such a diverse and welcoming university. Despite its foreignness, an overwhelming dose of school spirit is a welcome change.