The birth of the Ram Nation
The birth of the Ram Nation
Ashley Major
Columnist
The city was bursting with pride Sunday afternoon as our Rams made VCU history and earned a spot in the Final Four. My words cannot do justice in describing the excitement and sheer happiness that ensued after our victory over the University of Kansas. While my journalistic side became captivated with the surrounding scene as the night erupted, I wondered why we have become so spellbound by these victories.
I believe the answer is simple: As human beings we need to identify with something greater. It is human nature to belong and be a part of something. Identifying with your school and stating that you are a Ram now gives us a national stage to declare our identity. Regardless of the diversities VCU encompasses, these moments prove our strength as a community rather than as individuals.
We experience genuine thrill for our players as they climb the NCAA totem pole and potentially become drafted by the NBA because they are our classmates, friends and even our heroes. We are beginning to experience the indescribable school spirit that once seemed so foreign to VCU students and seemingly reserved to other campuses.
As we pass each other walking across the Compass in our Rams gear, a sense of identity and community is formed.
Today, while our futures seem uncertain and the value of a university education is continually questioned, this notoriety has given us a chance to celebrate our school, taking our minds off the ever-present troubles of tuition hikes and budget cuts.
“It gives me so much pride to be graduating from VCU in May,” senior Katherine Williams said. In fact our team’s recent victory has given our name a platform that has the entire country’s attention.
Upcoming grads will have great ice-breaking material at job interviews, current students will have legendary bragging rights and incoming freshmen will be proud to walk the campus of the celebrated Rams.
This is a pivotal moment in our career as VCU students and one that will undoubtedly change the way we view our university, as well as how others view our university.
“All my friends from New York are congratulating me and saying how much they wish they were in Richmond right now,” sophomore Nastasia Nelson, an out-of-state student, said.
Contrary to how others may perceive us, VCU has earned itself substantial successes across the board, breeding NBA stars, a crowned Miss America Queen and world-class artists.
We are home to the country’s number one ranked public university school of the arts and design graduate program, the number one department of nurse anesthesia, as well as a nationally ranked medical school. Aside from our victorious basketball team, both VCU’s men and women’s tennis teams hold CAA championship titles, as does men’s baseball. It appears our successes continue to grow the more we are doubted.
Our recent victory has allowed us to recognize each other as fellow Rams rather than fellow students as we are all desperately hopeful for the same goal. The sports bar where I watched the game exploded with triumph: Strangers hugged, fans cheered and the champagne sprayed. Students, alumni and Richmonders alike united and took to the streets; it was clear their excitement and love for their so-called undeserving team could not be tamed in helping truly create the Ram Nation.
