Falcon Pride found in aspects of UW-River Falls campus

Every year River Falls becomes a home to thousands of students when the doors of UW-River Falls open for its fall semester.

This year 6,383 students made the campus and surrounding area their home.

The UWRF website describes it’s campus as located “30 miles southeast of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota in the St. Croix River Valley.” The University offers 48 “programs of study,” a 23 to 1 student faulty ratio, and 16 varsity Falcon sports.

Even though there are many universities in Wisconsin alone that seem bigger and have football records more intimidating than UWRF, the campus community still shows it’s pride which other schools may not do.

This year, UWRF’s Homecoming theme is just that: Falcon Pride.

Last year was the first year of the Falcon Pride theme.

Chris Rohling wrote a story for the “Student Voice” about the reason they chose the theme, quoting Crystal Lanning, assistant athletic director and student involvement administrator of UWRF last year.

Lanning said, “It’s something that everyone could relate to. Everyone is a Falcon.

For students like Senior Elise Elliot, “Showing student spirit and looking in an appropriate, positive way and by being respectful about it,” is what Falcon Pride means to her.

Just like the definitions differ between Lanning and Elliot, sophomore and rugby athlete Riley Haynes views Falcon Pride in a different light than other athletes on campus. “I see it less as pride in athletics, and more as pride in the community.”

Those students who are just getting used to campus are still trying to figure out their own ideas of what being a Falcon and Falcon Pride means to them.

“I don’t really know what it means, but I’m sure its different from high school,” said part-time freshman student Gannon Judge.

Falcon Pride stems from more than information students gathered when they first toured the campus or when they were looking at the Falcon red of the UWRF college brochure.

The pride they feel comes from other things on campus they see, feel and experience. Senior Lisa Rosenthal finds pride in the small class sizes because it offers UWRF students opportunities that other schools may not.

“The fact we have smaller classes lets students make closer relationships with their professors,” said Rosenthal.

Haynes said what he had the most pride about was the inclusivity on campus, “You can pretty much go anywhere and say hi to anybody and they’ll say hi back.”

Even though student Meladee Larson, a senior at UWRF, says that Falcon Pride means, “being proud of your school and attending events,” she is not always able to make it to events, like homecoming, because of a busy schedule.

However, she takes her Falcon Pride with her wherever she goes.