I always wondered how people formed passionate allegiances to a school that they did not attend. You see this all the time in the Triangle with fans of local college sports teams. Now, I finally understand...
My daughter is a freshman at the University of Virginia, and we cannot get enough of the school or the sportswear. Every single time we visit, we acquire something new— a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, a toboggan, a magnet for the car.
Other WRAL Top Stories
On game weekends, the town becomes a virtual sea of orange and blue. I’ve honestly never experienced such school spirit. Whether you’re in the elevator at the hotel, at a restaurant, or in line at CVS, everyone is wearing UVA gear and nods at you with a knowing smile. It’s as if to say: “We are all part of this team.” And yet, until my daughter went here, I didn’t even know what the school colors were.
But now I understand the bond to a school that is not my alma mater. For this is the place from which my firstborn will be launched into the world. I hope this is the place where she will find her passion for what she wants to do in life, and the place where she will make lifelong friendships and precious memories.
So, I am embracing my new fandom as a UVA mom. I’m embracing Charlottesville as our new home away from home for the next few years. And I am embracing the belief that I will be lovingly tied to the colors orange and blue for the rest of my life.
Amanda is the mom of two, a reporter for WRAL-TV and the author of several books including some on motherhood. Find her here on Mondays.