Elizabeth Gosein-Vasquez doesn’t like football. Actually, she doesn’t even understand it. Yet on Saturday, Gosein-Vasquez and her friends drove almost 30 minutes from the Boca campus to Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to watch the Owls play University of South Florida. In fact, she’s been to every football pep rally and televised game party this season. She may not like football, but she’s got spirit.
Much like Gosein-Vasquez, some students are going to the games for reasons other than their love of football. While the Owls are steadily improving on the field and even beat a traditional powerhouse team this season, there’s a slice of the fan base that has a good time regardless of the score.
“Not everyone has to be a football fan to enjoy the game,” the freshman premed major says. “I don’t know what’s happening on the field, but I love showing school spirit – when I see people cheer, I cheer.”
As well as the action on the field, fans enjoy the performances by the cheerleaders, dance team and marching band, while cheering along side Owsley the mascot and friends in the stands.
“You don’t have to like football to support FAU,” says Bobby Johnsen, director of the prOWLers – FAU’s student spirit group. “You can have spirit by cheering for your school and taking pride in being an owl.”
The prOWLers, which started in 2002, support all athletic teams at FAU and can be found at most sporting events teaching students and fans the university’s fight songs and cheers.
“Most of the people that go to the games are not there just for football; they just want to cheer and have fun,” Gosein-Vasquez says, who joined the prOWLers this year because she wanted to be part of a spirit group on campus. “School spirit is a great way to get involved in school, hang out with friends and have a great time.”
Of their 40 active members, Johnsen, who joined the prOWLers last year as a freshman, says most of them just come out to have fun.
“The prOWLers bring an extremely enthusiastic and much needed commitment to every game,” says Paul Metcalf, adviser to the Student Alumni Association, which directly oversees the prOWLers. “Their passion for advancing the general feel of school spirit is truly respected.”
This year, the prOWLers helped the Student Alumni Board produce a special book highlighting FAU’s spirit traditions. The Owl Book is a guide for new students looking for ways to get involved and show spirit at all FAU athletic events.
As the Owls’ success on the field continues, Johnsen and Metcalf say they’ve seen an improvement in fan turnout, noting more people come out just to show support and get involved.
“The prOWLers have been a catalyst for generating change and getting students out to the games,” Metcalf says. “They go out and excite students every chance they get.”
